Bengaluru, Jan 23: In a move that could go a long way in preventing bogus candidates from playing mischief, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will use photographs of candidates on the electronic voting machines (EVM) during the upcoming Assembly elections.
It will be the first Legislative Assembly polls in Karnataka where this will be implemented.
Besides helping voters recognise their candidate from among those with similar names, the move will also help raise voter confidence amid concerns aired by the ruling Congress that the EVMs are prone to tampering.
Each EVM will have the names of candidates, their black-and-white photographs and the symbol of the party they represent. Each photograph will be 2.5 cm in size.
"Photographs of candidates were used on the EVMs in the recent Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh polls. Photographs will be used in the upcoming bypolls in Rajasthan. In fact, we had candidates' photographs for the Nanjangud and Gundlupet bypolls last year," Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar said.
Candidates' names will be classified under three categories. "Names will be listed alphabetically starting with those from national parties, followed by those from regional parties and then the independents or other parties," he said.
Use of photographs coupled with alphabetical listing of candidate names will further negate claims that EVMs can be tampered with. "For an EVM to be rigged so as to favour a particular candidate, how will anyone know whose name is listed where?" Kumar asked.
The 2018 Assembly election will see the introduction of voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines, which will allow voters to verify the votes they have cast. The Election Commission will also tally votes cast on the EVM with the VVPAT printouts in one polling booth selected randomly under each Assembly constituency.
Welcoming the move Dr Arathi Krishna told coastaldigst.com that Indians stranded in any foreign country can utilize this facility. "Initially, I was approached by Mr Zakaria and Mr Sheik who wanted chartered flights to help their employees fly back to India. I asked them to write to the Indian Ambassador in Saudi Araia Mr Ausaf Sayeed. Then I requested the ambassador to forward the request to Joint Secretary Dr Nagendra Prasad, who is in charge of gulf division in the Ministry of External Affairs, and then to Secretary on charge of Gulf and then I requested Secretary of Economic Relations Mr T S Tirumurti who was also in charge of Gulf to follow this up," she said.
Comments
Why don't Election Commissioner use separate EVM for each candidate
EVM will only beenifit for counting and earliest results. It will not stop manipulating and illigal set for any particular groups. Providing candidates photo in EVM system is type of bluff and to divert mind.
To avoid corrupt and criminal politiciance benifit - Ballot is the perfect BULLET.
For our nations benifit INDIA badly require Ballot polling system for ever.
Jai Hind !
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