EC drops plan to demonstrate remote voting machine as most parties question its need

The poll panel will reschedule the demonstration of the machine and its working as and when the political parties are ready for it, a source said

The Election Commission of India Monday had to drop its plan to demonstrate the working of a prototype of a remote voting machine (RVM) because many political parties invited to a meeting in New Delhi to witness its functioning questioned its need.

The poll panel will reschedule the demonstration of the machine and its working as and when the political parties are ready for it, a source told DH.

The new machine was developed by the poll panel in association with the Electronic Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) to allow domestic migrants to cast votes without having to travel to their respective home constituencies. Though EC was ready to demonstrate it, some parties, which sent representatives to the meeting, argued that the issue of the definition of domestic migrants should be settled before considering the use of this device.

Congress and several other opposition parties, including Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena (Thackeray), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI), National Conference, had a meeting on Sunday and agreed to oppose the EC’s move to introduce the RVM to allow migrant voters to cast votes remotely.

Samajwadi Party, the Dravida Munnethra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) also opposed the move. The ruling BJP, however, extended support to the poll panel.

Some parties suggested that the demonstration should be held in the states instead of New Delhi, as it would enable views of the wider political spectrum.

"No opposition party wants to see the demonstration of the RVM. The issue of the need to have such a machine should be settled first,” Digvijaya Singh of the Congress told journalists after attending the meeting convened by the EC. “The idea of RVM is not acceptable,” said the former CM of Madhya Pradesh, adding that the commission should rather address concerns over the credibility of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) currently being used to conduct polls.

Representatives of the eight national parties and 40 state parties attended the meeting.

“How will we campaign in different states among eligible migrant voters using RVM? When there is a bypoll on one seat, say Jalandhar, how will smaller parties campaign in various states among eligible migrant voters, who may be located in different states...RVM is not acceptable,” Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said after attending the meeting on Monday.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and the two Election Commissioners, Anup Pandey and Arun Goel, assured the representatives of the political parties that the EC would move ahead with the remote voting only when a consensus would emerge among the stakeholders.

The EC had on December 29 wrote to the political parties, seeking views on the RVM and on a concept note on the issue of allowing the migrants to vote remotely. The poll panel extended the deadline till February 28 for the political parties to write to it expressing their views on the issue.

Sources said that the EC had held in-depth discussions with recognized political parties on the issue of enhancing the participation of voters in the election process, a first meeting on electoral processes the panel held in nearly five years. Matters related to legal, administrative aspects and logistical challenges for remote voting were discussed threadbare, added the sources.