DMK to boycott verification of EVMs in Kolathur alleging lapses; plans to go to court
The DMK has decided to boycott the verification of EVMs in the Kolathur constituency, citing alleged security lapses and discrepancies in the machines. Party representatives claim that improper sealing and suspicious address tags suggest the machines were not adequately protected, and they plan to challenge the election process in court.
Why it matters
This development highlights ongoing concerns regarding the integrity of electronic voting systems in India and underscores the potential for legal challenges to disrupt post-election verification processes.
The DMK on Saturday announced its decision not to participate in the verification of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the Kolathur Assembly constituency, where party president M.K. Stalin had contested, alleging that the machines had not been properly protected.
“So far, we have verified eight EVMs, and found discrepancies in three of them. Since nearly 30% of the machines examined have shown problems, we have come to the conclusion that the election was not conducted fairly. We believe we can establish this scientifically and legally. We will approach either the Madras High Court or the Supreme Court,” senior advocate N.R. Elango, who represented Mr. Stalin during the verification process, told reporters.
He said the party had submitted a letter containing 19 questions to the District Election Officer and sought clarifications from the officials, including representatives of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, who were supervising the verification.
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