Only CPM, NCP to take up EVM hacking challenge: EC

After failing to convince political parties about EVM safeguards, the Election Commission scheduled the challenge for recognised national and regional political parties.

The Election Commission on Friday said that on rechecking of all papers & annexure submitted by CPM, found that they expressed their interest in participating in EVM challenge.

EC further said that they received RJD's email at 5:39 pm and according to deadline it was supposed to be received by 5 pm. Since it was sent by 5:39 pm their application is not entertainable.

Other parties such as the BJP, RLD, CPI and CPI(M) have "expressed their intent to observe", they added.

The Election Commission will hold a challenge to test the credibility of the Electronic Voting Machines in which only the Nationalist Congress Party will participate, while the AAP and Congress have declined to send their representatives.

The EVM challenge in which doubting political parties have been given an opportunity to prove that the EVMs can be hacked, will be held on June 3, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the Election Commission said in a statement. The deadline expired on Friday for seven national parties and more than 40 state parties to send their interest to participate in the challenge.

Only the NCP has nominated three representatives for participation in the challenge. It has not chosen any four EVMs as per the framework and left it to the EC.

Therefore, to organise the challenge, the ECI will bring a few EVMs from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand for conducting the challenge, the commission said.

In all, eight parties sent their response to the ECI till 5 p.m., when the deadline expired.

The commission said while the NCP expressed interest in participating in the challenge, the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress raised some issues.

They have not expressed their interest in particpating in the challenge as per existing framework, commission sources said.

The Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Rashtriya Lok Dal only expressed their interest in observing the challenge.

Pudducherry-based All India NR Congress has written to the commission that it is not participating.

The Election Commission in its challenge has not allowed parties to attempt tampering of an EVM's motherboard, citing which the AAP decided not to participate in the challenge.

The Congress also wrote to the EC, asking for access to all the components of an EVM, including the motherboard.

OneIndia News (with IANS inputs)