The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL demanding the reintroduction of ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), stating that the machines are often blamed only after electoral losses. The bench, led by Justice Vikram Nath and Justice P. B. Varale emphasized that claims of EVM tampering typically arise from the losing side. Justice Nath stated, "If you win, EVMs are alright; if you lose, they are tampered. When Chandrababu Naidu lost, he claimed EVM tampering. Now, Jagan Mohan Reddy has done the same after his defeat."
Arguments from the Petitioner
Evangelist K. A. Paul while representing himself, said that most countries in the world use ballot papers and that electoral corruption in India was a fact. Paul said that the Election Commission had confiscated ₹9,000 crore in relation to elections and quoted Elon Musk as saying that EVMs could be hacked. Paul also mentioned that 18 political parties were supporting him and said that ballot papers were more transparent as they are used in 155 democratic countries.
The Supreme Court rejected the plea, reiterating its faith in EVMs, which have greatly reduced problems such as booth capturing and invalid votes. In another April judgment, the Supreme Court had appreciated EVMs for making elections more transparent and error-free, with safeguards such as Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT). Justice Sanjiv Khanna said, "EVMs have effectively eliminated booth capturing, reduced paper usage, expedited the counting process, and minimized errors." The bench also reminded candidates that they can check up to 5% of EVM results for discrepancies, at their expense, after the election.
Inputs by Agencies
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