New Delhi: June 4 marked the declaration of the Lok Sabha election results and the subsequent formation of the government. However, the Election Commission has now ordered a fresh probe into complaints of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering across eight Lok Sabha constituencies in six states. These constituencies include two seats in Haryana and one seat each in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured three of these seats, while the Congress won two, and other parties claimed the remaining three. The Election Commission received eight formal complaints alleging EVM tampering, with specific demands to inspect the memory and microcontrollers of the devices. As a result, the Commission will now scrutinize EVMs from 92 polling stations. Additionally, the EVMs from three assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha will be checked, covering 26 polling stations in these states.
State-wise Breakdown of EVM Investigations:
Haryana: Karnal and Faridabad Seats Under Scrutiny
The EVMs from Karnal and Faridabad seats in Haryana will undergo inspection. Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar won from Karnal, and Union Minister of State Krishan Pal Gurjar secured victory in Faridabad. Both Congress candidates, Divyanshu Buddhiraja (Karnal) and Mahendra Pratap (Faridabad), raised concerns about electoral fraud, prompting them to formally request an EVM check from the Election Commission.
Maharashtra: Ahmednagar Candidate Demands Verification
In Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar constituency, BJP candidate Sujay Vikhe Patil, who was defeated by NCP candidate Nilesh Lanke by approximately 29,000 votes, has called for an examination of the EVM microcontroller. Patil’s demand stems from his narrow loss and suspicions of voting irregularities.
Chhattisgarh: Kanker Lok Sabha Seat Examination
The Kanker Lok Sabha seat in Chhattisgarh will also see its EVMs rechecked. BJP’s Bhojraj Nag won this seat, defeating Congress candidate Biresh Thakur by a margin of 1,884 votes. Thakur’s concerns about possible tampering led to an official complaint, particularly after a recount on the counting day delayed the final result.
Tamil Nadu: Vellore and Virudhunagar Seats Probed
BJP candidate AC Shanmugam from Vellore, Tamil Nadu, who lost to DMK’s Kathir Anand by a substantial 2.15 lakh votes, has demanded an EVM investigation. The Commission will review EVMs from 14 polling stations in Vellore. Simultaneously, the EVMs from 14 polling stations in Virudhunagar, where Congress candidate Manickam Tagore B narrowly defeated DMDK’s Vijayprabhakaran V by 4,379 votes, will also be scrutinized.
Andhra Pradesh: Vijayanagaram Polling Stations to be Investigated
Bellana Chandrashekhar of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, who contested from Vijayanagaram in Andhra Pradesh, lost to Telugu Desam Party candidate Appalanaidu Kalisetty by a significant margin of 2.49 lakh votes. Chandrashekhar’s allegations of EVM tampering have led to an investigation into two polling stations in this constituency.
Unprecedented Move by the Election Commission
This investigation marks the first instance where the Election Commission has implemented guidelines for post-election EVM checks. Announced on June 1, these guidelines allow the runner-up candidate to apply for an EVM verification within seven days of result declaration, with a mandatory fee of Rs 50,000 per EVM check.
This proactive step by the Election Commission aims to uphold electoral integrity and address any potential discrepancies, ensuring public trust in the democratic process.
