Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar Addresses EVM Battery Allegations
In New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar dismissed concerns about ‘varying EVM battery levels’ during a press conference. He assured that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are “safe and robust,” with batteries similar to those in calculators, not mobile phones. EVMs have a three-layered security system, including single-use batteries, and signatures from political party representatives to ensure transparency.
CEC Kumar explained that EVMs are not connected like pagers, which can be hacked. He highlighted that the batteries are installed five or six days before voting, with party representatives’ signatures on them. The EVMs are double-locked and secured with Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and observers, with the process being videographed.
The Congress party raised 20 complaints about EVMs, alleging that varying battery levels affected poll results in Haryana. CEC Kumar promised to address each complaint individually and publish responses. In the recent Haryana elections, the BJP won 48 out of 90 seats, while Congress secured 37 seats.
Doubts Revealed
Chief Election Commissioner -: The Chief Election Commissioner is the head of the Election Commission of India, which is responsible for conducting free and fair elections in the country.
Rajiv Kumar -: Rajiv Kumar is the person who is currently serving as the Chief Election Commissioner of India.
EVM -: EVM stands for Electronic Voting Machine, which is used in India to record votes during elections instead of using paper ballots.
Battery Allegations -: Battery allegations refer to concerns or complaints about the battery levels of the EVMs, which some people think might affect the voting process.
Single-use batteries -: Single-use batteries are batteries that can be used only once and then need to be replaced, ensuring that they are fresh and reliable for each election.
Three-layered security system -: A three-layered security system means there are three different ways to make sure the EVMs are safe and cannot be tampered with, including checks by political party representatives.
Political party representatives -: These are people from different political parties who are present to ensure that the election process is fair and transparent.
Congress party -: The Congress party is one of the major political parties in India, which often competes in elections against other parties like the BJP.
Haryana poll results -: Haryana poll results refer to the outcome of elections held in the state of Haryana, where different political parties compete for seats.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, which is another major political party in India, often competing against the Congress party in elections.