Poll official junks EVM hacking charge, says no OTP needed
Returning Officer Vandana Suryavanshi has categorically dismissed allegations of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) hacking in the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat. In a press conference, she clarified that EVMs are "technically foolproof standalone devices" and do not require an OTP to function. Her statement was in response to reports alleging that the brother-in-law of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar used a mobile phone to generate an OTP and unlock an EVM at a counting center on June 4.
Election commission takes action against fake news
"This is a complete lie being spread by a newspaper, which some leaders are using to create a false narrative," Suryavanshi asserted. She confirmed that the Election Commission has issued a notice to the Mumbai-based newspaper for defamation and spreading fake news, adding that all protocols set by the commission were followed during the vote counting on June 4. "Technical features and robust administrative safeguards are in place to rule out any possibility of manipulation," she stated.
No OTP needed to unlock the EVM: Suryavanshi
FIR filed over alleged misuse of poll officer's phone
In response to the alleged EVM hacking by Waikar's brother-in-law using a poll officer's phone, Suryavanshi confirmed that an FIR has been filed. She assured that appropriate action will be taken in the matter. Waikar won the seat by a narrow margin of just 48 votes against Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) candidate Amol Sajanan Kirtikar.
What happened on June 4
Initially, it looked like Kritikar had won, but Waikar demanded a recount because the margin of victory was narrow. After the recount, Kritikar was revealed to have one more vote. However, after rechecking the postal ballots, Waikar led by 48 votes. Following the results, Kirtikar and others claimed that there were irregularities in the counting process. Kirtikar claimed that poll authorities announced the number of votes cast after each round, but they stopped doing so after 19th cycle of counting.
