With the Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 round the corner, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reacts to complaints from different political parties over election-related issues. Speaking on Tuesday, Kumar dismissed allegations related to electoral roll manipulation, tampering of electronic voting machines, and irregularities in voter turnout figures, asserting, “Aaj Jawab Toh Banta Hai.”
Kumar said the national capital would go to polls in a single phase on February 5 and the counting of votes will be held on February 8. He said the concerns of political parties were not completely unfounded as there were complaints of wrongful additions and deletions in the electoral rolls and allegations that a particular community was being targeted.
“There were certain kinds of concerns raised (by political parties). It was said that wrongful addition and deletion were made in electoral rolls. It was also said that certain groups are targeted and their names are deleted,” Kumar explained, emphasizing that every step of the electoral process is conducted transparently and in coordination with political parties and their representatives.
In response to allegations from both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding electoral roll discrepancies, the CEC highlighted the comprehensive process involved in preparing the voter lists, which includes 70 distinct steps. Each of these steps is carried out in consultation with political entities.
“The entire process – from preparing the voters’ list until the elections is a 70-step process. Throughout, the political parties or candidates continuously engage in them, and routine meetings at every level are going on,” said Kumar.
On the issue of tampering with the EVMs, the CEC referred to a judgment of the Supreme Court and said the machines are “inherently safe”. “There is no question of introducing a virus or bug in the EVM. No rigging is possible. High Courts and the Supreme Court have consistently affirmed this in various judgments. EVMs are foolproof devices for counting, and allegations of tampering are baseless,” he said.
This situation led opposition parties after recent elections to Maharashtra to strongly raise an anomalous rise in voter turnout during polling hours. Accordingly, Election Commission explained variations in turnout figures occurred due to tardy reporting on poll trends in some booths.
It’s not possible to alter the voter turnout. Some polling parties report at midnight or even the next day. The matching of Form 17C is done prior to counting. The VTR explains everything,” Kumar concluded, reinforcing the integrity of the election process.
