Bangalore: Before the Karnataka assembly elections, the Congress had made a big allegation on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). After which the Election Commission of India (ECI) has written a letter to the Congress stating that their allegations that EVMs were sent to South Africa before the elections are completely wrong. The commission said that neither EVMs have been sent to South Africa nor EVMs are used there. This is easily accessible through the National and Provincial Elections booklet on the website of the ECI of South Africa.

The Election Commission of India dismisses Congress’ concerns about EVMs used in Karnataka having been deployed in South Africa, which does not even use EVMs.

ECI asks Congress to ensure such sources of false information with serious potential of rumor-mongering are publicly… pic.twitter.com/16guq0REdD

— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2023

Significantly, on May 8, two days before the elections in Karnataka, the Congress wrote a letter to the ECI alleging that EVMs, which have been used in South Africa, are going to be used in the Karnataka elections. In fact, the Congress had sought an explanation from the Commission making this allegation. Now the poll panel of the Election Commission has strictly replied to this letter and explained the entire process to the Congress. The ECI said that all the EVMs used in the Karnataka elections are brand new. Congress also knows this very well. The commission said that whenever the EVM comes, the entire process is videographed and leaders of every political party are called there to be eyewitnesses. Congress knows very well from where EVMs came in Karnataka elections.

After this, lashing out at the Congress, the Election Commission said that Congress is a national party for so many years and has participated in many elections, at least they are expected to know about the protocols of the Election Commission. The ECI said that the leaders of the parties are not only called to show where the EVMs came from, but are also provided with a list of unique IDs of the EVMs. Not only this, random checks are also done before assembling the EVM. After it is commissioned, it is then checked only in the presence of representatives of political parties. In its reply, the ECI stated that all the SOPs mentioned by them were followed at the time of Karnataka elections and as far as the records are available with them, Congress representatives were also present during this entire process. The commission lambasted the allegations made by the Congress even after such transparency and said that it is really surprising to say that EVMs were used in South Africa, quoting sources.

The Commission further said that there is no credibility to the news being spread by naming various sources, which were given as information to the Congress. In such a situation, the Congress itself should find out from where this lie came to it, so that the reputation of the party does not get tarnished. The Commission said that they expect the Commission to be informed (by the Congress) before 5 PM on May 15, 2023, about the action taken on the source spreading the false news.

Let us tell you that, the Chief Executive Officer of the Election has sent a letter to the Chief of the Karnataka Congress Committee, explaining that as per the instructions of the Commission, after the FLC process is completed at the district level by the District Election Officer, the FLC will be given to the national and state recognized political parties. Photocopies of the list of OK EVM and VVPAT are given. It has also been mentioned in the letter that in the Karnataka elections, the newly manufactured EVMs and VVPATs have been used by ECIL from Hyderabad. 

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