Will hold EVM challenge with machines of recent polls: CEC

New Delhi: The Election Commission will soon hold the EVM hacking challenge to prove that the machines are tamper-proof - a fear raised by the opposition parties. It was decided during the all-party meeting convened by the Election Commission to discuss the reliability of the EVMs here. A "challenge" is on the cards, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi told a meeting of political parties. The meeting was attended by all the seven national and 35 of the 48 state recognized political parties. "The Chief Election Commissioner assured the reliability of the EVMs and asserted they were secured and cannot be tampered with," JD(U) leader K.C, Tyagi who left the all party meeting midway for another engagement. "After the CEC's address experts from IITs also sought to clarify doubts that many political parties have about the reliability of the EVMs. Let us see what is the outcome of this meeting," he was quoted by newsagency IANS. Meanwhile, BJP legislator from Rajouri Garden Manjinder Singh Sirsa said: "The EC today informed in detail about the security features of the EVMs and asserted that they cannot be tampered with at all." "So far there have been 37 cases in various courts regarding EVM tampering. The judgements in 30 of those cases have come and all 30 have been in favour of the EVMs being tamper proof," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader  reportedly said. Aam Admi Party on Thursday had staged a demonstration on hacking a 'voting machine' in the Delhi Assembly. It demanded that the Delhi Assembly's resolution be implemented and expert panels of parties be allowed to inspect EVMs. AAP legislator and Delhi unit secretary Saurabh Bhardwaj had demonstrated in the Assembly on Tuesday how an EVM could be hacked. He suggested that the voters from the booths where manipulation was alleged could be asked to disclose in camera in front of a judicial magistrate which candidate they voted for and the answers could be tallied with EVM records. With BJP emerging victorious in recently conducted elections, 16 Opposition parties had urged the EC to revert to paper ballots.