SC Dismisses Petition for Ballot Paper Voting, Rejects EVM Concerns

Supreme Court Dismisses Petition 

In a landmark judgment on Tuesday, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition to have Electronic Voting Machines replaced with ballot papers during elections. The petition, filed by activist K.A. Paul, argued that EVMs could be compromised, thus threatening the very foundation of the democratic process. Other than these, Paul also mentioned other claims made by political leaders like Andhra Pradesh's erstwhile CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and the incumbent CM N. Chandrababu Naidu who had earlier complained about EVM security and an assertion by billionaire Elon Musk that EVMs could be hacked.

A bench comprising Justices P.B. Varale and Vikram Nath rejected the petition, holding that allegations of EVM tampering arise only when a candidate loses. The bench observed that the same politicians do not question the reliability of the machines when they win. "When you win, the EVMs are fine. When you lose, there are accusations of tampering," the bench observed. It further came out that the petitioner could not plead these in court as a valid ground for opposing EVMs.

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The petition also included additional demands, such as urging the Election Commission to disqualify candidates found guilty of distributing money or alcohol to voters. K.A. Paul, in his defense, claimed that the petition was filed in the public interest and highlighted his humanitarian work rescuing orphans and widows. However, the court questioned his involvement in politics, suggesting that his focus should remain on social work rather than electoral issues. This judgment further bolsters the judiciary's stand that EVMs are legitimate, dismissing speculative charges of rigging in a fair and comprehensive political and legal manner.