11 defeated candidates move EC seeking EVM verification

Election Commission has received a total of 11 applications from candidates defeated in the recent LS and assembly polls, seeking checking or verification of burnt memory/microcontroller of EVMs used in eight parliamentary constituencies of six states and three assembly constituencies across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
While four applications - made in accordance with SC’s April 26, 2024 directions, allowing candidates who finish second and third to seek verification of microchips embedded in up to 5% of EVMs per AC on written request and payment of fee - were filed by losing candidates of BJP, two came from Congress candidates, three from YSRCP candidates and one each from BJD and DMDK candidate.
Eight verification requests relate to EVMs deployed in 92 polling stations across eight LS seats - Vizianagaram in Andhra, Kanker in Chhattisgarh, Karnal and Faridabad in Haryana, Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, Vellore and Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu and Zahirabad in Telangana. The other three requests seek checking of EVM chips across 26 select polling stations of Gajapathinagaram and Ongole ACs in Andhra and Jharsuguda AC in Odisha. PCs with the most polling stations selected for EVM check are Ahmednagar PC (40); Virudhunagar PC and Zahirabad PC (20 each); Jharsuguda (13) and Ongole ACs (12).
Interestingly the verification was sought not only for closely contested seats with thin victory margins, but also where margins exceeded 200,000 votes. For instance, the margin was 249,000 in Vizianagaram PC, 232,000 in Karnal PC from where Union minister Manohar Lal was elected; 173,000 in Faridabad PC; and 216,000 in Vellore PC. In Kanker, the narrow margin of 1,884 votes seems to have prompted defeated Congress candidate Biresh Thakur to seek EVM chip verification; as in Jharsuguda AC where BJD candidate Dipali Das lost to BJP rival by 1,333 votes; and Virudhunagar PC where Congress opponent defeated DMDK candidate by 4,379 votes. Other places with low-to-moderate margins where verification will be done are Zahirabad PC (46,188), Ahmednagar PC (28,929), Gajapathinagaram (25,301) and Ongole ACs (34,026).
As per protocol issued by EC on June 1, concerned chief electoral officers have conveyed the list of applicants, under intimation to EC, to the manufacturers, 15 days before the 30-day deadline.
Verification process can begin within four weeks of CEO’s verification of status of election petitions filed in the respective constituencies. Election petition filing deadline being July 19, 2024, the technical SOP enumerating the methodology and steps for verification of EVM microcontrollers will be issued by EC in four weeks after that.
EC said manufacturers will issue schedule EVM checking within two weeks of receipt of election petition status from CEOs, and same will start within four weeks of confirmation.