EC Dismisses Link Between EVM's Battery Strength & Results, Says Voting Machines 'Not Tampered'

Congress claimed that some EVMs in Hisar, Mahendragarh and Panipat with 99 per cent battery showed the BJP won, while units with 60-70 per cent battery showed Congress's win.

Election officials count votes for the Haryana Assembly elections at a counting center in Rohtak on October 8.

Source : PTI

Election Commission sources on Tuesday dismissed allegations levelled by Congress leaders, who claimed that the EVMs in some Haryana seats were tampered. The Congress said these machines had varying battery strength and gave out different results.

After the Haryana Assembly election results data was declared, the Congress leaders, including general secretary Jairam Ramesh and senior leader Pawan Khera said during a press conference that they had received complaints from several candidates from Hisar, Mahendragarh and Panipat about electronic voting machines (EVMs) with 99 per cent battery on which the BJP won while units with 60-70 per cent battery showed Congress's win.

"Have you understood this conspiracy? Where there was 99 per cent battery in EVMs, the BJP won. Where there was less than 70 per cent battery, the Congress won. If this is not a conspiracy, then what is it?" Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Tuesday.

Responding to this, the EC sources told news agency PTI that alkaline batteries are used in the control unit of EVMs. They added that new batteries are inserted in the control unit on the day of commissioning in the presence of candidates, after which they are sealed.

They further explained the reason behind the varying battery capacity in the EVMs saying that initially, the battery gives a voltage between 7.5 and 8 volts. "The battery capacity is displayed as 99 per cent when the voltage is above 7.4," the EC sources said.

As the EVM is used, its battery capacity decreases, which leads to a consequent decrease in the voltage as well. When the voltage goes below 7.4, the EVM's battery capacity is displayed between 98 per cent to 10 per cent, they added.

The control unit of the EVM remains functional when the battery has over 5.8 volts. When it is left with more than 10 per cent capacity, the battery replacement warning appears on the voting machine's control unit display. This mechanism is similar to the signal displayed in a vehicle when it is running on reserve fuel.

On the counting day, the remaining capacity of the battery depends upon the mock poll, which is conducted on the control unit, the actual poll, and the initial voltage of the battery (8 to 7.5 volts).

The EC sources also said that the alkaline battery tends to regain its voltage to a certain extent when kept switched off, PTI reported.