India, Maharashtra, vijay kumbhar, News, Governance, RTI, Transparency, Civic Issues, Real Estate: Vulnerable
Showing posts with label Vulnerable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vulnerable. Show all posts

Monday, May 8, 2017

Bombay HC Asks Hyderabad Forensic Science Lab to Test Electronic Voting Machines

Amidst all the controversies of tampering of Electronic Voting Machine ( EVM), the Bombay High Court has asked Hyderabad based Central forensic Science laboratory  (CFSL) to investigate whether two EVMs used in Maharashtra Assembly Election 2014  were tampered or not. The HC has given this order in a election petition filed by Abhay Chhajed then congress candidate of Parvati Legislative Assembly Constituency in Pune. HC has also asked the collector pune to provide  the technical data ,  if any , if asked for and if possible to the CFSL Hyderabad .


Image cortsey The Voice of Nation

The HC has asked CFSL to investigate;

a) Whether there exists any electronic part/ device within EVM, which can remotely connect with external devices with the help of infrared/ blue tooth or similar technologies?

b) Whether there exists any additional memory chip inside EVMs to store any program counter data inside the EVM Machine?

c) Whether the machine codes ( One Time Programmable/OTP Codes) of all the exhibit EVM machines have been tampered?

d) Whether the has values and metadata of the aforesaid machine codes ( One Time Programmable/OTP Codes ) are same or different?

e) Whether the enclosed program counter data in the control unit give the same result as declared be the returning officer of the Election Commission dated 19.10.2014 at Parvati Assembly Constituency?

f) Whether the EVM machines and its data have been accessed in any manner during the period from the Date of polling and Date of Result?

g) Whether there is evidence or material indicating tampering or manipulation of the machines i.e counting unit and the ballot unit along with the connecting cables either from any internal or external remote device or source?

h) Is there any reason as a result of which the votes cast in favor of the candidate would either not be recorded or may  be recorded in favor of another candidate .Inspection and evaluation of the EV machines and its components?

i) Is it possible to find out how many such votes are cast . if yes , then how many and whose favor?

It was  the case of the Petitioner Abhay Chhajed  that the electronic voting machines used during the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly elections, 2014 in Pune were tampered with. More specifically Booth No.185 and Booth No. 242 in the 212 Parvati Legislative Assembly Constituency. Chhajed  had also led evidence of voters who had cast their votes in his favor. The number of such voters from booth no. 185 exceeds the number of votes recorded in his favor in the Electronic Voting Machines used at the said booth.

Chhajeds’ argument was that ,the tampering of the machines was  quite evident because only 79 votes were counted in favor of him, in stead of 89.,In his support  89 such voters, who voted at Booth No.185 and Booth No. 242, had signed an Affidavit stating that they had voted for   him during the said election.

Abhay Chhajed had  lost to BJP's Madhuri Misal from that constituency, had challenged her October 2014 victory the same year. Misal was the first to be declared a winner during the 2014 assembly elections. She had defeated her two main rivals, Chhajed and Subhash Jagtap of the NCP.


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Thursday, March 16, 2017

EVMs may not be but system is vulnerable to fraud ...

While Arvind Kejriwal and Mayavati are criticizing Electronic Voting Machines Anna Hazare has ridiculed these accusations of sore loser.No doubt Electronic Voting Machines (EVM)  are safe in protected environment and there may be rival arguments on whether EVMs are vulnerable to fraud or not.There are several possibilities that definitely raise doubts. In this post I don’t want to make any allegations but want to put plain facts that point the finger at entire  procedure followed in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC ) elections. These facts are based on documents provided by election department. Election commission has to clarify on those doubts.


In  ward no 33 around 5 ballot units were changed without any reason or notice to candidates and in same ward  in around 21 booths sequence of ballot unit was changed. However due to lack of awareness nobody complained. This is something very serious. Before actual voting day EVM's were sealed in presence of candidates or their representatives. So question of change  of ballot units or their sequence  doesn't arise at all.

This time in PMC elections were conducted panel wise.Each ward electors had to elect 4 candidates. Elections were conducted in February 2017. 21 February was actual voting day and on 23 results were declared. But before that on 15th February  as per procedure EVMs were checked randomised , allotted booth wise, sequence wise  and sealed in presence of candidate or their representatives. Sequence of candidates was also set on the same day .Copies of serial no of booth wise ballot units (Bu) , Control unit and sequence of candidates set were given to candidate. ( see Annexure 1).

As all the BU and CU were sealed and kept in tight security question of  any change in it does not arise at all. However on actual polling day (21st February)  when polling staff opened Ballot units serial no’s of units were different from those recorded and sealed on 15th February. In booth no 10,12,28, 49 and 50  Ballot unit numbers were P44052, P 43551, MO22334, P143888 & P14390 respectively (see Annexure 1).But on  actual poling day those were P14992, P11947, MO23334, P 14386 & Mo 27617 respectively ( Annexure2) . If on voting day Ballot units are found faulty they can be changed after following proper procedure. Then how come these ballot units were changed ? Isn’t this serious?.

Control Unit numbers are also different in booth no 24 and 30 in copy handed over to candidate those were M22232 and M 21591 but on actual polling day those were changed to  7507 and 21595 respectively ( Annexure 3). In some cases on polling day control unit or ballot unit numbers were not recorded at all ( Annexure 4)

Sequence of ballot units was also changed in almost 20 booths. As per rules  Ballot Unit should be connected to control unit according sequence allotted to them only. Changing that sequence amounts to exchange of votes to another candidates. In ward no 33 almost on 20 booths sequence of  ballot units was changed. In booth no 1,5,8,11,15, 17,18,2224,32,40,54,57,62,65,66,71,76 and  79 ballot unit 1 was connected  to 2 and 2 to 1 (Annexture 5). This is also serious because machine doesn’t read panel number or names of candidates . It reads numbers serially.


In the nutshell somebody from the system itself or from outside had access to the sealed machines and strong rooms. Election commissions has to clarify on these issues. 

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RTI KATTA is a platform to empower oneself through discussions amongst each other to solve their problems by using Right to Information act, Every Sunday at Chittaranjan Watika, Model Colony,Shivaji nagar, Pune, between 9.30 to 10.30 A.M.

RTI Resource Person, RTI Columnist
Phone – 9923299199

                   http://surajya.org/
Email     – kvijay14@gmail.com