EVM row: EC to convene all-party meet on May 12

The Election Commission of India will convene an all-party meeting in the national capital on May 12th over the burning issue of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering. The poll panel will try to assure parties that the EVMs cannot be hacked in any manner.

According to reports, more than 150 leaders will participate in the upcoming meeting.

The meeting will be held at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. The leaders of all major parties will mark their presence in the meeting.

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi had told the media, "We will soon hold an all-party meeting to tell them that our EVMs are non-tamperable and secured as per our administrative and technical safeguard system."

He said that the poll panel intends to use Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units attached with EVMs in the coming elections for greater transparency and restore voters' confidence in the electoral process.

A VVPAT churns out a paper slip confirming the party and candidate a person has voted for. This slip is kept in EDC records for future reference.

The government has earlier this month sanctioned funds of Rs 3,173.47 crore to buy 16.15 lakh VVPATs as sought by the EC. The poll panel has already placed an order for the same with Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronic Corporation of India Ltd and expects to get the machines by September 2018.

After the latest assembly elections in five states, many opposition parties raised questions over the integrity of EVMs.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had urged the State Election Commission to hold municipal bodies election with ballot papers and not EVMs.

-ANI