The Hindu : Karnataka News : `They are the pride of the nation'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 20, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

`They are the pride of the nation'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, APRIL 19. "They are the pride of the nation." This is how the Karnataka High Court has described the electronic voting machines (EVMs) that are being used in large numbers for the coming elections.

The use of EVMs had been challenged by Michael P. Fernandes, who lost the last Lok Sabha elections from Bangalore North.

The High Court recently dismissed the election petition against C.K. Jaffer Sharief and simultaneously upheld the use of EVMs. In his petition, Mr. Fernandes had contended that the EVMs had been used despite his objections.

He had maintained that the EVMs were not tamper proof and that the programming was not of standard quality.

The EVMs, he had said, were not as safe as the ballot system.

His objections were overruled and the EVMs used throughout the constituency.

Mr. Fernandes, in his petition, had cited the example of an EVM in Yelahanka that could not count 298 votes because of a system error. The court had then summoned A. Rudira Murthy, Manager (Product Design), Bharat Electronics (BE) and inventor of the EVM, to testify about the product.

Mr. Murthy told the court that the EVMs were first used by the company in 1982-1983 during the elections to the factory union.

In 1987, a final shape was given to the EVM and in 1989-1990 it was handed over to the Election Commission of India.

In his judgment, Justice Sreedhar Rao said: "The case, as usual, stands out as an exception as by the time evidence is concluded, the political scenario would have undergone a thorough change."

With regard to the EVMs, the scientist had said it could decode and find out the manner and sequence of the casting of votes.

The court had asked him whether they could find out if the EVMs had been tampered with and if cameras could be fitted on the EVMs, to which he had replied that it was not cost feasible.

Regarding the possibility of being tampered with, misuse and transfer of votes, the scientist had said that evidence gathered so far had testified that there was no possibility of transfer of votes from one candidate to another.

Moreover, after polling, the presiding officer would seal the result compartment.

The counting of votes took place only in the presence of the agents of the candidates. The machine, he had said, had a card to show any defect in the functioning.

Justice Rao said the court was of the view that the EVMs were tamper proof and that it had advantages over the traditional manual ballot system of casting votes. Since only six votes could be polled per minute, it was evident that swift rigging was not possible. The machine had stood the test of time and had proven to be economical.

"In view of this, without the least doubt, I say that the machine is fully tamper proof."

The court said the invention of the EVM had an interesting history and that countries such as Singapore and Malaysia were interacting with the Election Commission for the supply of EVMs.

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