Police escort for EVM's being brought for hackathon

The move came in the wake of the allegation, made by opposition parties over BJP’s landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi, May 23: The Election Commission has reportedly sent directives to chief electoral officers from five states to provide adequate escort and video surveillance for EVM's brought to hackathon challenge June 3.

EVM's from Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Punjab that last went to elections will be brought to Delhi under constant video surveillance as several prominent political leaders said could have been rigged.

The move came in the wake of the allegation, made by parties such as the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, over Bharatiya Janata Party's landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh.

In a counter reaction, the EC announced a special session for political parties to try to tamper with the machines.

The EC has also asked the officials to include special sealed boxes in which the EVMs will be transported. The box, carried by an officer at least of the post of a Tehsildar contains the details of the machines, the poll station it was used at and the unique id of the VVPAT or paper trail machines.

The machines are expected to reach the EC office in Delhi by June 1. They are currently housed in strongrooms in local EC offices.

Political parties will be given a four-hour slot to prove that EVMs can be tampered with.will be allowed to accompany the trunks carrying EVMs and the VVPATS, but will have to bear the expenses of the travel.

The EVMs will have to be picked by from ECI's warehouse in Delhi at parties' own cost. It also maintained that change of internal circuits will also not be allowed.

The EC also stressed that it will not allow circuits or machines from outside their headquarters.

In a press conference on Saturday EC had assured that the EVMs are tamper-free and threw open a challenge to anyone who can prove that EVMs can be rigged.

OneIndia News