EC to call all-party meeting to discuss EVM issue

With questions being raised again on the issue of vulnerability to tampering of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Election Commission will soon convene a meeting of political parties to discuss various issues including that of EVMs.

With questions being raised again on the issue of vulnerability to tampering of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Election Commission will soon convene a meeting of political parties to discuss various issues including that of EVMs.

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"We are planning to call an all-party meeting. There are other issues like money power and paid news," Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi told reporters in New Delhi on Monday.

He said that the issue of EVMs would also figure in the meeting.

On the demand of some political parties for ballot paper-backup, the CEC said that the issue would also be on the agenda of the meeting.

Quraishi said that the issue of paid news should also be viewed in the context of money power.

With regard to assembly polls in Bihar, the CEC said that the EC has issued a new set of instructions under which political parties would be invited for a check of EVMs.

A two-stage randomisation of EVMs would be made, he said, adding in the first stage, all the EVMs stored in the district centre would be randomised by the District Election Officer in the presence of the representatives of the recognised political parties for allocation assembly constituency-wise.

The second stage randomisation would be done in the presence of observers and candidates or their election agents, Quraishi said.