J-K: Verification of EVMs for Chenani assembly constituency conducted, JKNPP holds protests

Jammu, Sep 18 (PTI) The verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the Chenani assembly constituency in Jammu and Kashmir was conducted on Thursday under tight security, officials said.

This initiative came after the request from Harsh Dev Singh, the state president of the National Panthers Party, who unsuccessfully contested last year's polls from this seat in Udhampur, they said.

This was possibly the second such exercise of checking and verification of EVMs in the country in 2025. Ten candidates who unsuccessfully contested last year's Maharashtra assembly polls had applied for the checking and verification of EVMs, and the machines were found flawless on July 31, 2025, officials noted.

On September 10, Udhampur District Election Officer (DEO) Saloni Rai set September 18 and subsequent days for the scheduled verification of EVMs in the Chenani assembly segment.

An officer deployed to supervise this exercise told reporters that the entire procedure is carried out transparently and in strict adherence to Election Commission guidelines.

He mentioned that all requested EVMs were presented for inspection. "Harsh Dev Singh has raised concerns regarding three polling stations. A team from the Electronics Corporation of India was present for this purpose, and the entire process was video recorded," he said.

In response to Singh's claims of faulty machines, the officer noted that one machine had a clock error, which is not considered a technical fault. "This is misinformation," he emphasised, asserting that everything was in order.

The officer also reiterated that the verification process eliminates any chance for tampering and ensures a thorough examination of the machines to promote free and fair elections.

After the conclusion of the checking and verification of EVMs for the day, J-K Panthers Party workers, led by Singh, held protests alleging that the machines were faulty.

"Machine after machine was found faulty, as they were presented for the checking and verification process," Singh stated, alleging that the Election Commission and the BJP were colluding for vote theft.

However, BJP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia, whose supporters celebrated the verification process' accuracy, claimed it confirmed that the process was entirely correct. "This exercise has exposed those who have historically levelled allegations against the BJP and the Prime Minister regarding vote theft," he remarked.

Before the verification, Singh commented, "Today, we have set a precedent by allowing the EVMs to be opened for verification. This exercise will reveal any electoral malpractice, and those responsible will face consequences." He also noted that this was the first time such a verification process occurred in this area, indicating a step towards increased transparency. "Those who have stolen votes will need to resign from their positions," Singh asserted.

Singh also alleged that the Election Commission is collaborating with the BJP to commit these irregularities.

Mankotia, against whose election Singh filed a review petition in the High Court last year, said, "In a democracy, every candidate who has contested elections and lost has the right to request verification of EVMs if they have any doubts. Following this democratic process, our opposition party member has requested checking and recounting of votes at three polling stations, and that is currently taking place." The verification exercise was conducted under tight security at the Government Degree College for Boys in Udhampur, from 10 am to 7 pm.

The DEO invited all eligible candidates of political parties of the Chenani constituency to participate in this exercise.

Singh had requested that the results of the Chenani assembly election in 2024 be declared null and void, accusing at least 19 respondents — including the Chief Election Commissioner of India — of widespread electoral law violations and misconduct during the election process. PTI AB MPL MPL