After some electronic voting machines (EVMs) were found defective in Sangli, Kolhapur and Beed districts during the zilla parishad elections, activists are now raising serious doubts about the accuracy of the machines. Pune-based civil engineer and social activist Mukund Lagoo, who is also an accused in the EVM theft case registered with Mumbai Police, said EVMs can be tampered with in a span of two-and-a-half minutes or it could have technical errors and in such a condition if you press any button the vote could be directed to a particular candidate. Speaking to The Indian Express, Lagoo said there have been several cases in different parts of the country where EVMs had problems, hampering the election process.
Earlier this week, during Zilla Parishad elections, at polling station number 188 in Walva, Sangli, it was found that whichever button the voters pressed, the votes were going to NCP. When contacted, Shyam Wardhane, district collector of Sangli, said, “There was a technical fault in the EVM. We have reported this to the Election Commission and re-polling will be done for these particular booths on Sunday.” Wardhane said a stringent procedure is followed before going to the polls to ensure there is no mischief. “The EVM is readied in the presence of representatives of political parties and the entire process is video filmed. Mock polling is also done,” he said.
Full Article: Possibility of tampering with EVMs cannot be ruled out: Lagoo – Indian Express.