A fresh controversy erupted after one of the media houses claimed that a relative of a Shiv Sena candidate from Mumbai was seen using a mobile phone connecting to an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) during the counting of votes of Lok Sabha elections on June 4. According to Mid-Day, Ravindra Waikar who is a prominent politician affiliated with the Shiv Sena party has been associated with the controversy surrounding EVM hacking. This involves allegations and disputes over the integrity and security of the voting process, which is a critical issue in elections.While opposition parties, including Congress, have questioned the reliability of the EVMs, the Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at the opposition, refuting the claims and demanding the Election Commission of India to take action against those who are intensifying the lies by sharing false news reports. The recent episode of controversy against Waikar erupted, while the Tesla CEO Elon Musk, talked about the elimination of the EVM process, claiming the risk of hacking. Following this Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also alleged the same.We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high. https://t.co/PHzJsoXpLh— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2024However, responding to the same Vandana Suryavanshi, the returning officer of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency has rubbished the false allegations and said that a defamation notice has been sent to the media house, claiming that EVMs are the only system which does not wireless communication capabilities.Who is Ravindra WaikarRavindra Waikar serves as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Mumbai North West constituency and has been an active member of Shiv Sena, a major political party in Maharashtra known for its regional and pro-Marathi stance. During his political tenure, Waikar has held significant positions within the party and the government, reflecting his influence and leadership capabilities.Waikar has served as a Minister of State in the Maharashtra government, holding portfolios such as Housing, Higher and Technical Education, and Tourism. He has also been involved in urban development and public works, contributing to infrastructure projects in Mumbai.
