Supreme Court Rejects Plea To Replace EVMs With Ballot Papers, Cites Political Bias
Pune: PIL Filed In Supreme Court Seeking Immediate Local Body Elections In Maharashtra
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the reintroduction of ballot papers in place of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), stating that allegations of tampering are often politically motivated and arise only after electoral defeats.
Justice Vikram Nath, presiding over a two-judge bench with Justice P.B. Varale, observed, “If you win the elections, EVMs are not tampered with. When you lose, EVMs are tampered with.” The court referred to past instances where political leaders, including N. Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy, raised concerns about EVM tampering after losing elections.
पुन्हा कागदी मतपत्रिकांद्वारे मतदान नाही – सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाचा निर्णय@ECISVEEP @SpokespersonECI pic.twitter.com/c6U6dh4QtM
— ChiefElectoralOffice (@CEO_Maharashtra) November 26, 2024
The PIL was filed by evangelist K.A. Paul, who argued in person, citing global examples of ballot paper usage. He claimed that ballot papers are the hallmark of democracies, while EVMs are used primarily in nations with dictatorial tendencies. Paul also referred to tweets by political leaders and statements by figures like Elon Musk to support his claim that EVMs are susceptible to manipulation.
Introducing himself as the president of the Global Peace Initiative, Paul detailed his global humanitarian work and alleged widespread corruption in Indian elections. He cited the Election Commission’s seizure of ₹9,000 crore during recent polls as evidence of systemic issues.
Paul argued that India should follow the global trend of using physical ballots to ensure transparency and fairness. However, the court dismissed his claims, with Justice Nath questioning why India should not adopt its own modern approach to voting systems.
The court concluded that the PIL lacked merit and emphasized the need for trust in the electoral process, dismissing the plea as politically motivated and speculative.
