Gujarat Assembly elections 2017: Criticism of EVMs due to fear of defeat, says Nitish Kumar

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Sunday that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) have helped to make elections "transparent and impartial".

He added that those criticising them were doing so out of the fear of defeat.

"Some may criticize the EVMs out of fear of defeat, but the EVMs have made elections transparent and impartial. Now, nobody can deprive anybody of the right to cast votes," Nitish, who has predicted a comfortable majority for the BJP in Gujarat, tweeted in Hindi.

हार के डर से चुनाव में ईवीएम की आलोचना जो कर लें लेकिन ईवीएम के प्रयोग से चुनाव पारदर्शी और निष्पक्ष हुआ है। अब मतदान के अधिकार से कोई किसी को वंचित नहीं कर सकता है। — Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) December 17, 2017

Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel has accused that 140 engineers were hired by a company to hack 5000 EVMs.

"A company in Ahmedabad has prepared to hack the source code of 5000 EVMs through 140 engineers," he had alleged in a tweet on Saturday night.

अहमदाबाद की एक कंपनी के द्वारा १४० सोफ्टवेर एंजिनियर के हाथों से ५००० EVM मशीन के सोर्स कोर्ड से हेकिंग करने की तैयारी हैं। — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) December 16, 2017

विसनगर,पाटन,राधनपुर,टँकारा,ऊँजा,वाव,जेतपुर,राजकोट-६८,६९,७०,लाठी-बाबरा,छोटाउदेपुर,संतरामपुर,साँवली,मांगरोल,मोरवाहड़फ,नादोद,राजपीपला,डभोई और ख़ास करके पटेल और आदिवासी इलाक़े की विधानसभा क्षेत्र में EVM सोर्स कोर्ड से हेकिंग करने का प्रयास हुवा हैं। — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) December 17, 2017

He had also questioned Supreme Court`s decision to reject Congress` plea, seeking cross-verification of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails with votes cast with EVM and had asked why they were used in the Gujarat elections.

"Why are VVPATs used in the first place? It is used for smooth counting of votes wherever there is a fault. I do not understand Supreme Court`s stand on the issue," the PAAS convener had said.

The apex court has dismissed Congress` plea seeking directions to the Election Commission (EC) to count and cross verify at least 25 percent of VVPAT with votes cast with EVM.

On December 15, the apex court had said that it found no merit in Congress` plea and asked that the Gujarat Congress could approach it through filing a writ petition for electoral reforms.

It had further maintained that electoral process in a democracy was of utmost importance and the SC cannot interfere only to allay apprehension of a party.

The voting for the two-phase Gujarat Assembly election ended on Thursday and counting of votes will be held on December 18.

(With PTI and ANI inputs)