EVM Challenge: NCP & CPI(M) Did Not Want To Tamper, Says EC Chief

Each party will be given four EVMs and four hours to prove that the machines can be tampered with.

• The Election Commission’s EVM challenge saw no action
  
• NCP and CPI(M) were the only parties to participate in the challenge
  
• Both parties did not want to tamper EVMs, claims CEC
  
• CEC says parties wanted “academic exercise”
• Challenge ended with no attempt to hack the machine
• AAP launched a registration portal for a parallel hacking challenge

The Election Commission’s “open” challenge to all political parties to tamper with the EVMs turned out to be a dud with both the parties participating in the challenge “not wanting to hack” the machine.

“ NCP too wanted to participate in an academic exercise. Both the parties did not want to tamper with the EVMs. This was not a hackathon. It was an open challenge”, said Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi.

Though the four-hour challenge by EC scheduled to begin at 10 am, the NCP and the CPI(M) are yet to try their hand at hacking the electronic voting machines even at the end of the “academic” session.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party, launched a registration portal, to hold their own version of the EVM tampering challenge.

Chief Election Commissioner Addresses Media

Following the “open” EVM challenge held by the EC, the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi on Saturday addressed the press saying that neither CPI(M) nor NCP wished to participate in the challenge but wanted to understand the working of the EVMs.

NCP too wanted to participate in an academic exercise. Both the parties did not want to tamper with the EVMs. This was not a hackathon. It was an open challenge

CEC Nasim Zaidi

He added that the EC will continue to receive suggestions from political parties but wished to reiterate that the the EVMs used by the political parties are not “tamper-able”.

Won’t term outcome of today’s EVM challenge as ‘success’ or ‘failure’. It’s an ongoing exercise in improving conduct of polls.

CEC Nasim Zaidi

No Attempt Made To Hack EVM

Representatives from the two parties, NCP and CPI(M), who turned up for the challenge met officials from companies that manufacture EVMs in order to “understand the functioning” of the machines, reported The Hindustan Times.

The four-hour “challenge” ended with the EC officials stating that a statement will be out later in the day, and without even attempting to hack the machine.

CPI Calls EC Challenge 'Deplorable'

The Communist Party of India on Saturday came down heavily on the Election Commission over its "deplorable" move of not allowing it to witness today's EVM challenge.

The CPI raised doubts about the EC's motive behind the "denial" and said the poll watchdog's "approach of secrecy to not allow the party" to witness the process was against spirit of its invitation letter seeking cooperation from political parties.

Being a national party we wanted to witness the challenge. But surprisingly, it told us we cannot take part in the process, but only those parties which took part in the challenge. This is deplorable. 

S Sudhakar Reddy, General Secretary, CPI