ECI must clarify questions raised by Congress about EVMs: Sibal

On Sunday, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said the Election Commission of India (ECI) must clarify the questions raised by the Congress about EVMs in the recently-concluded Haryana Assembly polls. Sibal also asserted that he is of the opinion that misuse of EVMs does take place in the elections.

On Friday, the Congress submitted more complaints to the ECI alleging discrepancies in electronic voting machines (EVMs) during counting of votes for the election.

Congress candidates from 20 assembly segments, in written complaints to the ECI, have alleged that the batteries in some of the EVMs were charged at 99 per cent during counting on 8 October.

The complaints follow the Congress' shock defeat in the assembly elections after the party failed to win a simple majority after 10 years of BJP rule in Haryana.

Asked about the allegations, Sibal said, "The questions that the Congress has raised about EVMs, it is providing proof to the Election Commission on it. So, I do not know much about it but the EC must give a clarification on it. I think misuse of EVMs does happen, to what extent it happens, I cannot say.

"From the beginning I am against this. I have given many statements in the past. What is opaque must not be accepted," the former Congress leader and current independent Rajya Sabha MP added.

The Congress has said the assembly polls results were "unexpected" and have alleged discrepancies in the EVMs in some seats.

"In furtherance of the issues raised and the representation submitted to the Election Commission of India on 9th October, we have now submitted an updated memo highlighting serious and glaring irregularities in the election process in 20 assembly constituencies in Haryana. We hope that the Election Commission will take notice and issue the appropriate directives," Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh had said in a post on X on Friday.

"We request you to urgently take action on the enclosed complaints and ensure that all the EVMs from these constituencies are immediately sealed. It is further requested that a detailed inquiry is initiated on our complaints and the same is completed in a time bound manner," the Congress memorandum to the ECI has said.

Some of the Congress candidates in their written complaints, now forwarded to the EC, have alleged that while most EVMs were charged at below 80 per cent during counting, some had a charge of 99 per cent.

"It is to be noted that EVM battery percentage raises serious doubt regarding election results, as the Congress candidates are winning in most EVM machines counting where battery percentage was below 80 per cent," a Congress candidate said.

Senior Congress leaders had met the EC officials last Wednesday and handed over seven complaints in writing. They had said that they would submit more such complaints in detail from some of its other candidates.

In the memorandum to the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners, the Congress has said, "One of the issues faced by a significant number of our candidates was in relation to EVMs and their Battery Capacity."

It said these EVMs were used for counting of votes polled during the assembly elections conducted on October 5.