EVMs come under attack from poll 'losers'

July 6, 2009

Ashadh Shuddha Chaturdashi

New Delhi: For the first time since they were used in a byelection in Kerala in 1982, EVMs have come under attack. What were seen as efficient and fool-proof vote counting machines to replace the cumbersome ballots are being criticised by BJP, CPM, RJD, JD(S) and LJP — parties who fared poorly in the Lok Sabha elections.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani on Saturday set the ball rolling by demanding that the use of EVMs be suspended till doubts about their accuracy and that they could be rigged were settled. Now, he has found support from other "losers" while Congress has been quick to run down Advani's comments as "childish".

While the controversy over EVMs coincides with decisions of Irish authorities to discontinue their use and a ban by the German supreme court, the Election Commission stood by the EVMs as fool-proof. In fact, the commission, showing remarkable promptness, came out with a statement to express its vote of confidence in the machines in a move to nip the controversy ahead of coming state polls. In fact, Advani had demanded that the machines not be used in the state polls.

While those who are opposing EVMs seem disparate, the common thread is the scale of their defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and their struggle to find "explanations and reasons" for the rout. The Left lost its stronghold of West Bengal and Kerala while Ram Vilas Paswan failed to open his account in Bihar. Even the BJP fell far short of its expectations.

The CPM said questions being raised about the functioning of EVMs should be considered "very seriously", especially as several countries had gone back to ballot papers, including developed ones.

"Many questions have already been raised related to EVMs. These are serious issues and if we want to strengthen our democracy then we should consider the matter very seriously," CPM politburo member Yechury said.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee welcomed Advani's suggestion and said she was the first to have raised the issue. She added that recent panchayat and municipal polls in Bengal were held through ballot papers and they seemed to work fine.

The Samajwadi Party sought an all-party meeting by the EC to quell doubts about EVMs. While not pushing the charge, the SP said doubts among a large number of political parties had to be addressed nevertheless. "There is a lot of controversy over EVMs in India as well as in the west. It is found that it can be manipulated. Doubts have also been raised over the outcome of Lok Sabha results of a senior minister of Congress. In democracy, perception is very important. If there is doubt in a large section of people, then it has to be addressed," SP general secretary Amar Singh said.

JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda said secrecy could not be maintained with EVMs. "This system should be abandoned. At the all-party meeting before the elections, we had listed the shortcomings of EVMs," he said.

Source: TOI

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