New Delhi: Election Commission of India (ECI) has received applications for the verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from candidates contesting in eight parliamentary constituencies across six states. A total of 92 polling stations are involved in these requests for verification.Verification requests from multiple partiesAmong those seeking verification is Sujay Vikhe-Patil, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Vikhe-Patil has requested the verification of EVMs from 40 polling stations after losing to Nilesh Lanke of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Sharad Pawar faction).In addition to Vikhe-Patil, candidates from the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) have also applied for verification, according to data shared by the Election Commission.Supreme Court ruling on EVMsThe Supreme Court of India had previously dismissed suspicions of EVM manipulation as unfounded and rejected demands to revert to the old paper ballot system. However, the court did provide a provision for unsuccessful candidates who finished second or third to request verification of the micro-controller chips in up to five percent of EVMs per assembly constituency. This request must be submitted in writing and accompanied by a fee.Cost of verificationCandidates seeking EVM verification are required to pay ₹47,200 per EVM set, according to the ECIs Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued on June 1. The cost includes ₹40,000 (plus 18% GST) as quoted by manufacturers Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL). Additional costs cover labor, CCTV coverage, electricity, videography, and other operational expenses.To make the verification process more accessible, the ECI has decided that the administrative expenditure for EVM verification will be treated as election expenditure and borne by the central or state government. As a result, these administrative charges will not be passed on to the applicants.Application deadlines and processThe ECIs SOP requires state Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to submit a consolidated list of verification applicants to the manufacturers within 30 days of the results declaration, by July 4. The CEOs have already communicated these lists to the manufacturers ahead of schedule.Verification of assembly poll resultsFollowing the announcement of assembly election results on June 4, candidates from the YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha have also requested EVM checks. Verification has been sought for 26 polling stations across three assembly constituencies. The ECI will issue detailed technical SOPs for checking and verifying the burnt memory or micro-controller of the EVM units in due course.
