Parties acknowledge EVM reliability; Congress urged to provide evidence of tampering.
It is heartening to note that many parties from within the INDIA bloc are now openly admitting that there is no political prudence in questioning EVMs any more.
EVMs have proven their credibility time and again and the Election Commission has also shown its impartiality before the country in election after election.
The integrity of India’s electoral process, exemplified by the consistent reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), stands as a testament to the nation’s democratic strength.
As we have pointed out earlier too in this space, Election Commission is one of the few institutions that have defined India through the years and it deserves all praise for the way it has conducted our elections year after year despite all the challenges in managing elections in such a vast and diverse country.
It is not a joke to get a general election done in such a vast country with almost negligible error.
Most of the candidates and the parties, even those who blame the EVMs for their defeat, know it in their heart that the processes and the SOPs that the Election Commission has developed with time, by learning from past mistakes and by innovating to resolve new problems at the ground level regularly, are almost impeccable and nearly perfect.
From taking care of disabled persons at the booths to ensuring that the elderly take advantage of transport facilities to reach their booths, the election commission has been innovating and adopting new methods to ensure that our elections remain inclusive to the hilt.
Its adoption of innovative measures, such as facilitating voting for the elderly and differently-abled, underscores its dedication to inclusivity.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has demonstrated unwavering commitment to conducting free and fair elections across the country’s vast and diverse landscape.
However, it is unfortunate that a few parties, including the Congress, have been harping on imaginary problems in EVMs.
While most of those who participate in the election process, and lakhs of central and state government and public sector employees do so each time, know that the EVMs are impeccable, the frequent allegations against the EC and the EVMs sow unnecessary seeds of doubts in the minds of general masses.
The use of VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) in five randomly chosen polling stations of a constituency is simply a stamp on the sanctity of the EVMs put to purpose.
This is really unfortunate that the EC instead of being lauded has to receive unnecessary brickbats every time an election is held.
In this backdrop, it is heartening to hear that the NC and TMC have come around to the view that EVMs are okay for now.
Recent acknowledgments from parties like the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and National Conference (NC) affirm this trust, urging detractors to substantiate claims of tampering with concrete evidence.
India needs to cross this ‘EVM mein gadbad hai’ bridge. There is no issue in either EVMs or EC as such for now.
The country would really do well if we try to preserve the efficiency of EC and try to replicate it in other institutions of our country, e.g. police, judiciary, railways etc.
Baseless allegations against EVMs not only undermine this institution but also erode public confidence in the democratic process.
It is imperative for all political entities to engage constructively, presenting verifiable concerns rather than unfounded accusations.
This approach will strengthen democratic institutions and ensure the electoral process remains robust and transparent.
The focus should shift from questioning the credibility of EVMs to enhancing other national institutions by emulating the efficiency and integrity demonstrated by the Election Commission.
Such an endeavor will contribute significantly to the nation’s democratic and administrative fortitude.
