EVM’s reliability challenged in Gujarat court
By IANSFriday, October 15, 2010
AHMEDABAD - Within a week of the Gujarat civic polls, a public suit challenging the “reliability and functionality” of electronic voting machines (EVMs) was Friday filed in the Gujarat High Court here.
Advocate Girish Das filed the petition, seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India to to equip the EVM polling booths with a camera and clock to ascertain and establish as to who voted at what time, to ensure transparency in elections.
“The election commission has spent crores of rupees for introducing EVMs but failed to equip them with these essential and obligatory components,” the petition said.
Das also sought video recording at all polling booths.
He said in the petition that this would also help as evidence in a court of law if any controversy arises about alleged fraud or manipulation in voting.
The lawyer further sought the Election Commission of India’s directions to ensure that details of voting of the various centres are not revealed so as to prevent victimisation of the electorate after elections.
The petition names the Chief Election Commissioner, Gujarat’s election commissioner and the state government as respondents. The court will hear the matter Oct 19.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the elections to the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar in Gujarat last Tuesday. The Gujarat Congress Thursday attributed the sweep to tampering of machines.
