Bombay High Court orders inspection of EVM-VVPAT machines in Chandivali
In the 2024 Chandivali poll, Shiv Sena’s Dilip Lande won, with Congress’s Naseem Khan second, prompting a complaint
Following an order by the Bombay High Court, the Election Commission of India will conduct an inspection of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the 168-Chandivali Assembly constituency.
According to Archana Kadam, sub-divisional election officer of Mumbai Suburban district, the inspection of EVM-VVPAT machines (limited to diagnostic checks) related to the 2024 assembly elections will be carried out on 16 and 17 April at a warehouse of the Food Corporation of India in Borivali (East), Mumbai.
During the inspection, the petitioner and Congress candidate Khan Mohammad Arif (Naseem) will be present along with his technical representative. In addition, all candidates from the 168-Chandivali assembly constituency, including Shiv Sena candidate Dilip Lande, have been invited.
Complaints regarding alleged irregularities in EVM-VVPAT machines have been raised before the Election Commission in the past. However, concerns surrounding EVMs have not been satisfactorily addressed by the Commission, according to critics. In the 2024 Assembly election from Chandivali, Shiv Sena’s Dilip Lande had won, while Congress candidate Naseem Khan finished second.
After the results were declared, Naseem Khan filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking a technical examination of the EVM-VVPAT machines. In February, Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan directed that the machines be inspected. Two months after this order, the Commission decided to proceed with the examination.
Following the court’s directive, the election officer issued a letter on 7 April to Naseem Khan and all other candidates, asking them to remain present during the inspection. As per the letter, engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru, the manufacturer of the EVM-VVPAT machines, will carry out only a diagnostic check on 16 and 17 April. The engineers will examine the burnt memory and microcontroller of the machines. The inspection is scheduled to begin at 9.30 am.
Petitioner Naseem Khan stated that, in India’s history, EVM-VVPAT machines have not previously been inspected after elections in the presence of candidates and officials. He said that if contesting candidates have any doubts regarding EVM-VVPAT machines, the Election Commission should address them, which unfortunately has not been done so far. He described the High Court’s order as a historic decision.
In his petition, Naseem Khan had requested that five per cent of the EVM machines used in the Chandivali constituency — around 20 sets out of approximately 400 machines — be examined. For this, he deposited the prescribed fee of Rs 9.44 lakh with the Election Commission. The election authorities have informed all candidates who contested from the Chandivali seat to be present during the inspection process to ensure complete transparency.