People must know what happens when they press a button on EVM: DMK MP in RS

New Delhi, Dec 11 (PTI) DMK MP from Tamil Nadu, NR Elango, on Thursday said that the people of India must know what happens when they press a button on the Electronic Voting Machine, must be assured that their vote is recorded exactly as they intended and confident that their names will not be deleted from electoral rolls through bureaucratic opacity.

Elango, during a discussion on election reforms in Rajya Sabha, raised several questions regarding the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the use of electronic voting machines to cast votes.

“When we speak of ‘Free and Fair Elections’, we speak of the very soul of our democracy. The standard we must adopt is not merely that tampering is improbable - it must be rendered impossible,” Elango said.

“The integrity of our election process cannot be a matter of probability or statistical likelihood; it must be an absolute certainty that admits no possibility of manipulation,” he added while questioning the functioning of EVMs.

Elango also objected to the legality as well as the practical challenges in the implementation of SIR, calling it “Specified Inclusion & Removal”.

“ECI thinks that it is above the law and above the Constitution of India. Such an approach cannot be countenanced by any one of us or, for that matter, any normal, prudent man,” the DMK MP said.

In his concluding remarks, he stated, “We are not questioning any particular election result. We are not alleging that any particular election was tampered with.

“What we are demanding is transparency. What we are demanding is accountability. What we are demanding is that the possibility of tampering should be made impossible – not left to statistical probability,” he added.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh demanded that the government inform the country of the reasons for conducting SIR.

When Singh sought to raise alleged irregularities in the election process in Delhi and Bihar, Deputy Chairman Harivansh urged him to speak only on election reforms, as his other remarks would be expunged.

“If I don’t highlight irregularities, how will I talk about election reforms?” Singh asserted. He demanded that elections be conducted through ballot papers.

Y V Subba Reddy, a YSRCP MP from Andhra Pradesh, said that the Election Commission of India should not betray the trust of voters. Subhasish Khuntia (BJD) demanded fairness in the election process and better facilities for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) as they are doing a tough job. PTI JP JP DIV MR