Girish Pandav Requests EVM Memory Verification in South Nagpur, Raises Concerns Over Vote Mismatch
Nagpur, India: Following an unusual margin in voter turnout between 5:00 PM and 11:30 PM on election day, opposition parties, including the Mahavikas Aghadi, have expressed concerns about the integrity of the voting process. Reports from various constituencies indicate a mismatch in vote counts, with some candidates receiving identical votes and instances of EVMs registering more votes than the actual turnout.
In response to these concerns, Congress has formally approached the Election Commission. Girish Pandav, the Congress candidate from South Nagpur, has requested a memory verification of the EVM and VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) data to ensure accuracy. This verification process requires a deposit of ₹40,000 per machine, along with 18% GST, which will be refunded if discrepancies are found.
The Election Commission has set a seven-day window after the vote count for filing such complaints. The EVM data is stored for 45 days, allowing parties to challenge the results in court if needed.
Out of 12 constituencies in Nagpur district, Congress managed to win only three. Pandav has submitted ₹3 lakh to the District Collector for the verification process. Additionally, the Congress organized a bike rally in Nagpur on Sunday, led by former Minister Sunil Kedar, protesting against the EVMs. However, Kedar did not submit a request for verification.
As the controversy over the election results intensifies, opposition parties are demanding thorough scrutiny of the EVMs to ensure fair and transparent elections.