‘Concerns over EVM not addressed’: Jairam asks CEC to meet INDIA leaders

Congress leader asks CEC to meet INDIA leaders on EVM issue

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh during a press conference at AICC Headquarters, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. (PTI Photo)

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has written to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, saying the INDIA alliance’s concerns over the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have not been addressed, following several representations and requests for a meeting.

In a letter to Kumar on December 30, Ramesh said the INDIA alliance had submitted a memorandum to the ECI with its concerns over the EVM and VVPAT on August 9. He said this was supported by five separate requests for a meeting in August. He said the ECI had issued a clarification to the INDIA alliance’s counsel on August 23 that was “generic in nature”. The ECI had directed the alliance to refer to the FAQs available on its website.

“On October 2, 2023, a follow-up representation was sent by us through counsel. The representation raised specific concerns which remained unaddressed in the ECI’s clarification of August 23, 2023. No response was received on the same. On December 20, 2023, we again requested an appointment with the ECI to ‘discuss and provide suggestions on the use of VVPATs’ based on a resolution passed at a meeting of leaders of INDIA parties held the previous day,” Ramesh wrote.

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Also Read | No access to external agency, process robust: EC response to INDIA bloc on EVM concerns via FAQs

The resolution had called for 100% verification of VVPAT slips. Ramesh asked Kumar for a meeting with a group of INDIA leaders to discuss their suggestion for VVPATs.

The EC had updated its FAQs on August 23 to include replies to some of the questions raised by the alliance. Among the questions answered in the FAQ section were whether VVPATs have a programmable memory, the EC’s response to reported discrepancies between the voter turnout and votes polled and whether EVM manufacturers share their confidential software with foreign chip manufacturers.

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