Electronic Voting Machines, or EVMs, cannot be foolproof. No electronics-based device is, yet; and none in the future is likely to be, either. But that does not mean the country should return to paper ballot and revive the horrors of electoral malpractice such as booth capturing and rigging.
The Election Commission (EC) has a rigorous system of checks and balances in place to ensure that all parties and candidates involved in elections are able to get a good look at the functioning of the machines that are to be used at a polling booth. The incident at Bhind in Madhya Pradesh assumes significance in this context.
According to reports, when Chief Electoral Officer of Madhya Pradesh Saleena Singh pressed a button on an EVM during a live demonstration of its use in the presence of the media, the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine attached dispensed a slip indicating a vote for the BJP. The demonstration was being held ahead of Assembly by-elections at Ater in Bhind district and Bandhavgarh in Umaria district scheduled for April 9.
The Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party led by Mayawati and Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal have alleged tampering of EVMs following election results in Uttar Pradesh. These allegations have been reaffirmed by the incident in MP. The Election Commission has ordered an inquiry.
The implications are serious if EVMs have indeed been tampered with. This would mean that people have been fooled and taken for a ride. It can seriously damage the fibre of democracy. Question remains on how this issue will take shape and whether the EC has the inclination or strength to bell the cat.
It is a known fact that the existing system has many gaps. But these need to be addressed without reverting to the old, flaw-ridden and cumbersome system of paper ballot. An effective solution in the given situation appears to be the introduction of VVPAT machines across the country at the earliest.
The EC recently informed the Supreme Court that it will get the requisite number of VVPAT machines manufactured within 30 months once the requisite funds were released. These machines are touted to improve transparency of the process and it is prudent to ensure that they are utilised to the fullest.
The Supreme Court had ruled in favour of the introduction of these machines in 2013 on an appeal filed by Subramanian Swamy. One argument that is regularly thrown in at the use of EVMs is that they do not ensure transparency. Four European countries have abandoned the use of EVMs. Germany, it is claimed, stopped using EVMs citing that they did not offer the necessary transparency in the process.
According to the election commission, it had deployed VVPATs in all the 40 Assembly constituencies in Goa during the recent elections. The BJP suffered a setback in Goa with Congress emerging the single largest party in that state. The incidents that led to BJP forming government in Goa are a wholly different matter.
The Election Commission needs to tighten security measures and look for better technology to ensure free and fair elections in India. On the other hand, paper ballot cannot and must not be considered the solution to the existing issues with EVMs.
