The Hindu : New Delhi News : Government decides to purchase EVMs for civic polls

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 15, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Government decides to purchase EVMs for civic polls

By Lalit K. Jha

NEW DELHI, OCT. 14. With the electorate expressing their clear preference for electronic voting machines (EVMs) over ballot papers in the latest by-elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Delhi Government has after year-long deliberations finally decided to purchase EVMs for the next civic polls due in February-March 2007.

Clearing a pending proposal in this regard from the State Election Commission, the Delhi Government has sanctioned phase-wise purchase of EVMs worth over Rs. 8 crores before January 2007. The Commission, which had witnessed presentations from the EVM manufacturers, would soon be making a concrete proposal to the Delhi Government.

This would make MCD the first corporation of the country where elections would be held through EVMs. Thus far, EVMs have been normally being used either for the Lok Sabha or Assembly elections.

Highly placed sources in the State Election Commission, which is responsible for municipal and panchayat elections in Delhi and Chandigarh, said the Government has given approval for the purchase of some 8,000 EVMs. "With each EVM catering to the needs of some 1,500 electorates, these would be enough to hold municipal elections in Delhi in 2007," officials said.

While the necessary amendments in the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act have been carried out so that municipal elections could be held through EVMs, the recently held by-elections to the six municipal wards in June was done through ballot papers as the Delhi Government had refused to give money for purchasing the electronic voting machines.

In a communication to the State Election Commissioner, M. P. Tyagi, the Delhi Government had then argued that investing Rs. 8 crores for purchasing EVMs to hold elections once in five years was a mere waste of money.

Mr. Tyagi then is understood to have argued that not only the voters of the city were now attuned to EVMs, but also the machines was environment friendly as it saved a large number of trees from being cut. Holding elections through EVMs is at least five times less cheap than through ballot papers. For instance, while elections to Delhi Assembly cost the exchequer about Rs. 10 crores, by-elections to six municipal polls -- in effective three Assembly segments -- cost the Government about Rs. 1 crore, the official argued.

Further, the SEC based on its feedback from the electorates during the June by-elections, said voters clearly preferred EVMs to ballot papers.

A large number of electorates, even illiterates and those from the rural areas, asked for EVMs when they came to vote. "People were surprised and asked inconvenient questions to the polling officials when they came to vote," officials said. The State Election Commission had also received several representations from the residents about use of EVMs and discarding the ballot paper system.

Mr. Tyagi during his several representations to the Delhi Government argued that the Election Commission, which had the EVMs, was not willing to share or loan these machines with them. In fact, the Election Commission refused the request from the SEC arguing that the EVMs purchased by them were only for the purpose of Lok Sabha or Assembly.

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