Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has raised serious concerns about the transparency and accountability of electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in Indian elections.
On Sunday, Gandhi described EVMs as "black boxes" that are not open to scrutiny, suggesting that this lack of transparency threatens the integrity of the democratic process.
Gandhi’s comments came in response to a media report alleging that a relative of a Shiv Sena candidate, who won the Mumbai North West seat by a narrow margin of 48 votes, possessed a phone capable of unlocking an EVM. Highlighting the potential for fraud, Gandhi asserted, "Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability."
The former Congress president also referenced a post by Elon Musk on X (formerly Twitter), in which Musk advocated for the elimination of EVMs. "We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high," Musk stated.
Opposition parties in India, including the Congress, have long voiced their apprehensions about the reliability and security of EVMs. These concerns were amplified after their demand for a 100 percent count of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips was rejected.
VVPATs are used to verify that votes cast by EVMs are recorded correctly, but the Election Commission of India currently does not mandate a full count of these slips in the final tally.
The debate over the use of EVMs in Indian elections has been ongoing, with opposition leaders arguing that the machines are vulnerable to tampering and hacking. They advocate for a return to paper ballots or at least a thorough and transparent auditing process to ensure the legitimacy of the electoral outcomes.
This latest controversy over EVMs adds to the growing calls for electoral reforms in India. Critics argue that without proper checks and balances, the trust in the electoral process is eroded, undermining the very foundation of democracy.
As India continues to navigate these challenges, the demand for increased transparency and accountability in its voting systems remains a crucial issue for the country's democratic health.
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