Decide on EVM changes: SC to EC
Move is aimed at restoring the voter’s confidence during polls
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Election Commission (EC) to decide a representation seeking changes in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in order to assure electors that their votes have been cast only to the desired candidates.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia directed the EC to see what action could be taken on the letters sent by Shiv Sena leader Rajendra Satyanarayan Gilda with regard to alteration in the EVMs.
“The Election Commission was asked to take steps to modify EVMs as suggested by the petitioner through representation in December, last year and March, this year. The EC informed the petitioner of receiving the representation. Since the petitioner has not heard from the Election Commission, we are asking the EC to take action within three months,” the bench also comprising justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar said.
The court’s order came on the PIL filed by Gilda, a Latur resident, through counsel Dr R R Deshpande who alleged that no action has been taken by the EC on representations sent by him except some assurance that the matter was being looked into by the technical experts committee.
Safer elections
Senior counsel Shekhar Naphade submitted that the representations sent on December 14, 2010 and March 5, this year sought the Election Commission to attach a printer and LCD screen with the electronic voting machines so that the voters can know that their votes have been cast to the candidates they wanted to vote.
“With an intent to have fullest transparency in the system and to restore the confidence of the voters and to make the elections safe, fair, pure it is necessary to set up the electronic voting machines with the chance of verifications of the votes which will be in consonance with the fundamental right of the voters, being citizens of India and guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution,” the petition said.
The petition further added: “Right to vote is not limited right to cast vote but it means and includes ‘Right to elect’ and for exercising the right of election the voters should know/verify that, whether his vote has gone to whom he wants to elect or not.”
