EVM Challenge: No parties try hand at hacking voting machines as NCP, CPI(M) back out

The Election Commission on Saturday held the EVM hacking challenge, starting with a detailed demonstration on the various security checks in the machine.

Though the four-hour challenge began at 10 PM, the NCP and the CPI(M), the only parties participating in the event, did not try their hand at hacking the electronic voting machines even as the challenge ended at 2 PM. 

While the CPI(M) delegation watched a demonstration on the various security checks involved with the machines, the NCP team interacted with Commission’s technical committee of experts.

The two parties were provided with four EVMs each brought to Delhi from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand where they were deployed in the recently-held assembly polls.

Read  | Election Commission's EVM Challenge underway; NCP and CPI(M) attempt to temper voting machines

The challenge was organised after several major opposition parties had claimed that the faith of people in the machines has eroded due to allegations of tampering.The EC has maintained that EVMs are tamper-proof.

The BSP and the AAP had alleged that the machines used in the recent assembly elections were tampered with and favoured the BJP. Later, several other parties had joined the chorus and wanted the EC to revert to paper ballots.

The Commission has pulled out from its strong rooms in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand electronic voting machines used in the recent assembly polls there for the challenge.

The NCP and the CPI (M) were the only parties which had applied to participate in the challenge. The poll panel had invited the seven national and 49 state parties recognised by it for the challenge. It had left out smaller parties and Independents who had contested the recent polls from participating.

Even foreign experts are barred. Members of a technical committee, which helps the EC evaluate the EVMs, would judge the proceedings.