Lok Sabha Elections: Kapil Sibal issues checklist for EVM integrity verification on June 4 counting

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, on May 26, provided a checklist aimed at ensuring the integrity of the Lok Sabha elections, advising candidates and counting agents on how to detect potential tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Speaking at a press conference, Sibal highlighted key parameters that all parties and agents should bear in mind ahead of the June 4 election results.

"I want to make the public and the political parties aware of what you should do when the machines (EVMs) open," stated Sibal. To facilitate this, Sibal has prepared a chart containing essential information such as the Control Unit (CU) number, Ballot Unit (BU) number, and VVPAT ID. The third column, particularly crucial, indicates the date of June 4th, 2024, alongside the time of machine opening. Any deviation from this timing would signal prior tampering.

Sibal emphasised the importance of matching the written serial number of the control unit. He said that it is imperative to scrutinise the total poll vote carefully, ensuring discrepancies are promptly addressed to avoid potential issues during the counting process, adding that under no circumstances should the result button be pressed until verification is complete, and any disparities between the stated and actual timings must be thoroughly investigated.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, declining to intervene, refused to pass any directives on a plea seeking the upload of Form 17C data on the Election Commission of India's website and the publication of booth-wise voter turnout data. The bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Dutta and Satish Chandra Sharma, refused to grant any interim relief to petitioners and said it could not interrupt the polls.

With six phases concluded, the final phase of polling is slated for June 1, with vote counting set for June 4