Provide paper back-up for EVMs, says Swamy

Former Union law and commerce minister Subramaniam Swamy has written a letter to the Election Commission, demanding a paper trail to 'substantiate and verify the election results' obtained from Electronic Voting Machines.

In his letter, Swamy has argued that it is possible to manipulate the EVMs, by planting a software programme that could produce an election result in favour of a particular candidate. The programme, says the Janata Dal leader, can be planted by anybody who has access to the EVM.

Citing Home Minister P Chidambaram's constituency Sivaganga as an example, where a dispute had arisen over the election results in the recently held Lok Sabha polls, Swamy says that a paper trail will be able to 'substantiate/repudiate' the results declared by the EVMs.

Swamy also argues that several American states had made paper back-ups of EVMs compulsory. He claims that a large number of Indian voters have lost faith in the election results after discovering that the EVMs can be rigged. But he points out that the 'Election Commission has so far failed to take steps' in this regard.

To ensure that the election is 'not hijacked by the manipulation of the EVMs', it is necessary to 'provide for a paper backup to all EVMs', says Swamy.