Stop doubting EVMs

About two weeks before the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections, the Supreme Court has rejected a review petition by 21 leaders of Opposition parties regarding the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). The plea had sought that the random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs should be raised to at least 25 per cent as against the present 2 per cent. But the apex court refused to modify its April 8 order directing the Election Commission (EC) to increase the number for random tallying from one to five polling booths per Assembly segment in the parliamentary polls.

The paper trail had been introduced precisely for the purpose of dispelling apprehensions about the functioning of EVMs. However, the doubting Thomases are still not satisfied, and they keep harping on ‘greater transparency and confidence-building’. Soon after being rebuffed by the court on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and other leaders approached the EC seeking verification of all VVPATs in an Assembly segment in case discrepancy is found during the counting of slips of five machines. Revising the guidelines should be considered at times, but only if it can be ensured that the changes won’t lead to confusion and chaos.

It’s nothing new for politicians to cast aspersions on EVMs, especially if they end up on the losing side. But their stubborn insistence on ‘higher credibility and robustness of the counting system’ is being seen by their rivals as a pre-emptive move ahead of their impending electoral defeat. Such nitpicking is uncalled for as it can adversely affect the voters’ faith in the whole process. The trust deficit, if allowed to grow, can have a detrimental impact on democracy in the long run. India, which now has around 90 crore eligible voters, has managed to make an exemplary transition from the paper ballot to the voting machine. Unsavoury controversies should not eclipse all the good work done by a dedicated army of poll officials and workers. The results must be acceptable to all, come what may.