Russia shows keen interest in EVMs, may use them in Presidential poll

New Delhi: The likes of Arvind Kejriwal and Mayawati may find it hard to digest but officials in the Election Commission here confirm that Russia has taken a keen interest in the Electronic Voting Machine or EVM used in the country for choosing members of legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha.

The country may use it in presidential poll slated to be held next year when Vladimir Putin will seek re-election.

The development is not a day or two old. A top official of the Russian Election Commission had visited Uttarkhand during recent assembly elections and seen for himself the working of the machines during polls in the hill state.

The Commission office here gave his name as Nikolai Levichev and his designation as Deputy Chairman.

Unlike our own people, Russia has found nothing against these machines and may order for them soon.

However, all this is unlikely to end the debate in the country over these machines which was begun by Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and joined by former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

All these worthies had found them good until assembly elections this year when the Bharatiya Janata Party captured power in Uttar Pradesh after fourteen long years and did better in Manipur and Uttarakhand.

The same machines were used when Akhilesh and Mayawati were victorious in 2012 and 2007, respectively. Then they had no complaint to make. Nor had the BJP got any grouse against the Election Commission.

It is largely because of this that their motive becomes a suspect. And it is because of this reason that there are many even in the non-BJP parties who find their opposition politically motivated.

All these leaders would like the Commission to go back to the old practice of use of ballot papers for voting. Kejriwal is more vociferous in this regard as civic elections are to be held this month in Delhi and his party's poor showing will give a fodder to the BJP's cannon.

These voting machines, it may be recalled, are being used in

the country since late '90s and the Commission has reassured every

critic time and time that no tampering with the machines to favour a particular party is possible.

But neither did it quieten the critics in the past nor has it done it now. Every thing is fair in love and politics, goes an old saying. Going by these developments, it seems to be nothing but true.

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