DMK to boycott verification of EVMs in Kolathur alleging lapses; plans to go to court

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has decided to boycott the verification of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the Kolathur Assembly constituency, citing serious lapses in their handling. This move comes after the party’s president, M.K. Stalin, who contested in the constituency, raised concerns over the integrity of the electoral process. The DMK announced its decision on Saturday, stating that it would not take part in further verification procedures and instead seek legal recourse through either the Madras High Court or the Supreme Court. According to senior advocate N.R. Elango, who represented Stalin during the verification process, the party had already examined eight EVMs and discovered discrepancies in three of them. He stated that since nearly 30% of the machines inspected showed issues, the DMK concluded that the election might not have been conducted fairly. “We believe we can establish this scientifically and legally,” Elango said while addressing reporters. The DMK has reportedly submitted a detailed letter containing 19 questions to the District Election Officer, seeking clarifications from officials, including representatives of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, who were overseeing the verification. These queries pertain to the alleged irregularities observed during the examination of the EVMs. One of the key allegations centers around the address tags on the EVMs. During the inspection of the machines used in Polling Station No. 157, Elango noted that the address tags appeared to be new and unused. “We examined three machines. Since there were 36 candidates in the Kolathur constituency, each polling station should have had one control unit and three ballot units, with a total of seven address tags. However, the address tags appeared to be new and did not contain the required details,” he explained. Elango elaborated on the discrepancy, pointing out that the address tags are typically secured with amber seals. In the machines under scrutiny, the amber seal was found only on the front side. Election officials attributed this to human error, but the DMK does not accept this explanation. According to Elango, the ballot units are not used during the counting process; only the control unit is accessed. Therefore, the control unit would have been opened during counting and sealed again, which should result in two amber seals. The absence of these seals suggests that the EVMs were not adequately protected, prompting the DMK's decision to withdraw from the verification process. The DMK's decision follows a series of procedural concerns raised during the verification phase. The party has expressed deep skepticism about the integrity of the election process in Kolathur, where Stalin ran against the ruling party candidate. The allegations focus on potential tampering with the EVMs, which could affect the outcome of the election. The party has emphasized that it intends to pursue all available legal avenues to challenge the results, asserting that the discrepancies found during the verification process provide sufficient grounds for such action. The controversy surrounding the EVM verification in Kolathur has drawn attention from various quarters, with election authorities facing pressure to clarify the issues raised by the DMK. Officials have maintained that the verification process adhered to standard protocols and that any anomalies encountered were due to human error rather than systemic flaws. However, the DMK continues to demand transparency and accountability, insisting that the proper safeguards were not followed during the handling of the EVMs. As the situation unfolds, the political landscape in Tamil Nadu remains tense, with the DMK preparing to escalate its legal challenges. The party’s stance reflects broader concerns about the reliability of electronic voting systems in Indian elections, particularly in constituencies where close contests have occurred. With the upcoming legal proceedings, the outcome could set a precedent for future electoral disputes involving EVMs.