New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) dismissed Congress’ concerns that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections were previously deployed in South Africa. The poll body also asked Congress to "publicly expose" the "rumour-mongers" that spread such false information.
The Election Commission was responding to charges made by Congress MP and general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala in a letter written on May 8 wherein he had raised concerns regarding the use of EVMs in Karnataka election that have been used in South Africa, without going through the process of revalidation and reverification.
‘ECI never sent EVMs South Africa’
The poll body said that neither had the EVMs been sent to South Africa nor had the EC ever imported EVMs from any country whatsoever. It further said that South Africa did not use the machines at all. “The fact that EVMs are not used in elections in South Africa is easily verifiable through National and provincial elections Illustrated Booklet (English) on the website of Electoral Commission of South Africa,” it said.
"As such, there is no question of any machine being used by the ECI in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly election which had or could have been used in South Africa elections or for that matter anywhere in the world,” the ECI said.
The EC said that the EVMs used in the Karnataka poll had been manufactured by the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and the Congress was specifically aware of this. "All EVMs to be used in Karnataka elections, 2023 are new EVMs from ECIL. This fact is in full knowledge of INC. The president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee stood specifically informed,” the poll panel said. It said that Congress representatives had participated in each stage of the EVM movement and commissioning for the Karnataka poll.
‘Such a query raised by MP was surprising’
The poll body told Surjewala that such a query raised by a Member of Parliament of "your standing" was surprising as the actual information was in specific knowledge of his party. The Election Commission said while it is duty-bound to reply to all questions of an MP representing a national political party, "it has noted with concern that INC has chosen to rely on "sources' and even considered seeking a "clarification", just two days before the poll.
The EC noted that it held back an immediate reply keeping in mind the 46-hour 'silence period' which began at 6 pm on May 8 and ended on Wednesday evening. "The factual basis of the information provided by the "various sources" with regard to South Africa being clearly non-existent, categorically empower INC, being the entity targeted by the false information, to publicly expose such mischievous sources.
‘Ensure such rumour-mongers are brought to justice’
"Further, you may ensure such rumour-mongers are brought to justice, so that INC's longstanding reputation of a responsible stakeholder of the Indian electoral system is not dented," the EC letter read. The Commission said it expects to receive a confirmation of the action taken by the party by 5:00 pm of May 15.
In a letter written to the poll panel on May 8, the Congress had raised concerns and sought clarifications regarding the "re-use" in the Karnataka election of EVMs previously used in South Africa and that too, without going through the process of revalidation and re-verification.
"The concern arises from the fact that this Honorable Commission has deployed EVMs which were previously deployed for elections in South Africa. We have been informed of this by various sources including the fact all these EVMs have been received directly back from South Africa without going through the process of re-validation and re-verification by the appropriate software/mechanisms by the manufacturer i.e. ECIL as also certification by the EC. This puts in serious doubt the entire validation process of the EVM itself," Surjewala had said.
The counting of votes for the Karnataka polls will be taken up on May 13.
