EVMs fine when you win: SC dismisses plea for reverting to ballots in elections
Addressing the submissions, the bench commented, ‘You have interesting PILs. How do you come up with these brilliant ideas?’
Addressing the submissions, the bench commented, ‘You have interesting PILs. How do you come up with these brilliant ideas?’
Addressing the submissions, the bench commented, ‘You have interesting PILs. How do you come up with these brilliant ideas?’
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a petition seeking to replace electronic voting machines (EVMs) with ballot paper voting in elections across the country, reported PTI. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale dismissed the plea, remarking, “When you win the election, EVMs have not tampered. When you lose, EVMs are tampered with.”
The petitioner, K A Paul, had also sought several other directives, including disqualifying candidates found guilty of distributing money, liquor, or other inducements to voters for at least five years. Addressing Paul’s submissions, the bench commented, “You have interesting PILs. How do you come up with these brilliant ideas?”
Paul, who described himself as the president of an organisation that has rescued over three lakh orphans and 40 lakh widows, was questioned by the bench on why he was venturing into political matters given his social work background. When Paul mentioned his travels to over 150 countries and claimed that most relied on ballot paper voting, the bench countered, “Why not be different from the rest of the world?”
Paul argued that corruption in elections remained rampant, citing a June 2024 Election Commission report that revealed the seizure of Rs 9,000 crore in connection with electoral malpractice. The bench, however, dismissed the relevance of his claims, asking, “If we shift back to physical ballots, will corruption cease?”
The petitioner further alleged that EVMs were prone to tampering, citing statements by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and accusations made by political leaders such as TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. The bench noted the irony: "When Chandrababu Naidu lost, he said EVMs could be tampered with. This time, Jagan Mohan Reddy says the same.”
In addition to his concerns about EVMs, Paul emphasised the need for a comprehensive framework to regulate the use of money and liquor during election campaigns. He also advocated for a voter education campaign to encourage informed decision-making, lamenting that “32 per cent of educated voters are not casting their votes, which is a tragedy for democracy.”