EVM Frauds in India: UN Must Supervise Lok Sabha Election

While there are repeated claims and counterclaims about the digital security of EVMs, it will be worthwhile for the UN to constitute a team of digital experts who can supervise the Lok Sabha election.

By Rakesh Raman

While there are multiple complaints of tampering with electronic voting machines (EVMs) in India, a US-based digital expert claimed Monday that EVMs can be hacked to change the election results fraudulently.

Syed Shuja, who claims being a member of the team that designed EVMs in India, has alleged that the 2014 Lok Sabha election that was won by PM Narendra Modi’s party BJP was completely rigged.

Reports suggest that Shuja demonstrated the EVM hacking through a video conference in an event organized by the Indian Journalists’ Association (Europe) in London.

The ethical hacker added that BJP manipulated EVMs to win Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. Although Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) repeatedly complains about the vulnerability of EVMs, the expert asserted that even AAP hacked EVMs to win Delhi election.

Of late, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said that the EVM used in Indian elections is a chor (thief) machine which can be manipulated to change the outcome of elections.

[ Real Voter Magazine Covers Lok Sabha Election News and Views ]

Abdullah, 81, demanded that the EVMs should be replaced with ballot papers to ensure transparency in elections – particularly the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

However, referring to the London event on EVM hacking demonstration, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has refuted allegations of EVM manipulations. In a statement issued Monday, ECI said it firmly stands by the empirical facts about foolproof nature of ECI EVMs deployed in elections in India.

Lok Sabha Election

This article is part of our exclusive editorial section that focuses on Lok Sabha election 2019. Click here to visit the editorial section.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties have formed a committee which will prepare a draft on EVMs. It will be submitted to the Election Commission. The committee comprises Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and Satish Misra.

While there are repeated claims and counterclaims about the digital security of EVMs, it will be worthwhile for the United Nations (UN) to constitute a team of digital experts who can supervise the Lok Sabha election to ensure the fairness in the election.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He also creates and publishes a number of digital publications on different subjects.