Modi’s Ab ki Baar 400 Paar Vanishes Boast From His Campaigning; Why SC’s EVM Verdict Is Disappointing
A newsletter from The Wire | Founded by MK Venu, Seema Chishti, Siddharth Varadarajan, Sushant Singh, Sidharth Bhatia, Pratik Kanjilal and Tanweer Alam | Contributing writer: Kalrav Joshi, with additional inputs by Anirudh SK
Snapshot of the day
April 26, 2024
Siddharth Varadarajan
The second phase of voting in 88 Lok Sabha constituencies saw a reported turnout of 50.25 percent till 3 pm. Figures till end of day at 5 p.m. were not available as The India Cable was released but typically rise a few percentage points. More than half of the seats polling today were in Karnataka and Kerala, both states which are crucial for the BJP to increase its tally, since the Hindi belt states and Gujarat were maxed out in 2019. Among the heavyweight candidates in this phase were Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur and Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad.
The hearing of a plea seeking a ban on prime minister Narendra Modi from contesting elections for six years will now be heard on April 29. The petition was moved by a lawyer Anand S. Jondhale and has argued that a ban should be imposed as he allegedly sought votes for the BJP in the name of Hindu and Sikh places of worship.
Live Law reports that Justice Sachin Datta, who was to hear the case, was not holding court today as he was busy sitting in the UAPA tribunal.
The Supreme Court has rejected all pleas seeking a full count of all voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips generated during elections held on electronic voting machines. The bench comprised Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, and both judges wrote separate but concurring judgments. “We have elaborately discussed the protocols, technical aspects,” Justice Khanna said, according to Livelaw. “We have rejected all the pleas.” The pleas rejected included those for paper ballot voting, complete EVM-VVPAT verification and physical deposit of VVPAT slips. The court also issued two directions, according to Justice Khanna:
One direction is after the completion of the symbol loading process, the Symbol Loading Unit should be sealed. The SLU should be stored at least for a period of 45 days.
The burnt memory semicontroller in 5% of the EVMs that is the Control Unit, Ballot Unit and the VVPAT per assembly constituency per parliamentary constituency shall be checked and verified by a team of engineers from the manufacturers of the EVM post the announcement of results on a written request by candidates 2 and 3. Such a request to be made within 7 days of the declaration of the results. The actual cost to be borne by the candidate making the request. Expenses to be refunded in case the EVMs are found to be tampered.
Justice Datta added that blindly distrusting a system can lead to unwarranted scepticism. “Instead, a critical yet constructive approach guided by evidence and reason should be followed…to ensure the system’s credibility and effectiveness”.
(Credit: Sandeep Adhwaryu in The Times of India)
In an unusual move in the middle of a general election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have accepted an invitation to attend the G7 summit in Italy from June 13 to 15, ten days after the results of the election will be declared on June 4 — speculating the first foreign trip of the next Prime Minister after polls. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Modi posted that he “thanked” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “for the invite to the G7 summit in June” in a phone conversation. “Discussed taking forward #G20India outcomes at the G7,” he wrote. However, a few hours before Modi posted on X, the MEA spokesperson had confirmed that India had received an invitation to the G7 summit. “…but at this point in time, it is a matter which is under consideration,” he added.
Hundreds of passengers were stranded in Assam after several trains were cancelled or halted due to an engine derailment. These included people who were trying to travel to Karimganj, a seat in the Barak Valley part of Assam, to vote in the second phase of elections today. Most of those unable to travel to the seat were Muslim migrant workers, Rokibuz Zaman reports. A railway official said buses had been arranged for voters to travel to Karimganj. There is much more to this than trains and Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty finds many Muslim voters have moved court. [See Item 3]
Talking about elections, the BJP MLA ManPaolienlal Haokip from the violence struck state of Manipur, writes, “Elections may come and go, but as long as lies and majority massaging are the new credo, justice will wither and the nation can only be headed towards its destruction. I still stand for Nation First.”
He adds, “Looking ahead, any government that comes to power at the Centre must address three issues to end the conflict in Manipur. Protection of tribal territory under the Constitution must be strengthened. Second, a generous measure of political, administrative and financial separation between the valley and the hills. Third, justice (prosecution of culprits) and restoration measures for victims of the violence. However, all the above need to be preceded by dismissal of the present government in the state.”
After the BJP and a few local parties submitted representations to the Election Commission asking it to reschedule elections in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat saying they couldn’t submit their nominations due to inclement weather at the important Mughal Road, the commission has asked J&K’s chief electoral officer to “immediately” brief it on accessibility constraints in the constituency. The BJP is not fielding a candidate from this seat. Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting here, has likened any potential rescheduling to the rigged assembly elections in Kashmir in 1987, which is widely believed to have triggered the insurgency. Sources told Arun Sharma that the Mughal Road has been open for the last few days.
Karnataka’s chief electoral officer has said that a case has been booked against Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya for “posting a video in X (Twitter) handle and soliciting votes on the ground of religion”.
What happened to the BJP’s ‘400 paar’ (‘beyond 400’) electoral slogan? Repeated talk by BJP politicians of changing the constitution have created concern among its potential Dalit, tribal and OBC supporters that a larger majority to the party may mean that reservations will be nixed. Added to this is the belief that given the BJP’s discipline and coherent ideological line, its leaders in diverse parts of the country would not speak of changing the constitution unless it was a firm decision taken centrally.
The election is nothing but a battle of 153. Political scientist and India enthusiast, Christophe Jaffrelot says in an interview, “If the BJP wins 400 seats, it will be in a position to revise the Constitution. It would then probably remove references to secularism (a word designating here the equal recognition of all religions) and articles supporting this principle, such as those that allow minorities to apply for state subsidies for their schools. Constitutional revisions would also weaken federalism in India. Not only would the central government accumulate greater power, but the use of Hindi would probably expand at the expense of regional languages. If the BJP does not secure the two-thirds majority needed to reform the Constitution, Modi will probably make do with reforms such as introducing a uniform Civil Code, which, of the major objectives that the BJP set itself in the 1990s, is the last that remains uncompleted. This would make it possible to reduce the role of the personal laws in force for certain minorities, such as Sharia law, which govern aspects of people’s religious, political, social, and individual lives.”
Meerut is one of the seats that was scheduled to vote today. It is a general seat, but the Samajwadi Party has shaken up the caste arithmetic here by fielding a woman from the Jatav community, Omar Rashid reports. How much of the Bahujan Samaj Party’s loyal Jatav base the SP is able to woo will determine the SP’s – and the INDIA bloc’s – prospects here, Rashid says, adding that the SP’s choice of candidate has galvanised a major section of the community, especially those wanting a change. Meanwhile, the BJP candidate Arun Govil’s inaccessible nature, distant campaigning style and lack of experience in politics have prevented a breakthrough.
Originally scheduled to take place today, Delhi’s mayoral polls have been postponed seemingly indefinitely. Lieutenant governor VK Saxena did not appoint a presiding officer for the polls, citing an “absence of inputs from the chief minister”. Saurabh Bhardwaj, the AAP government’s urban affairs minister, alleged that the chief secretary sent the file related to the presiding officer’s appointment directly to Saxena rather than send it to him as per procedure. The Election Commission had greenlit the polls on Wednesday.
“This report is deeply biased and reflects a poor understanding of India. We attach no value to it and urge you to do the same,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said yesterday, referring to the US state department’s report on the human rights situation in India. Among other things, the report mentioned rights abuses in Manipur, antisemitism by Indian officials and concerns around “transnational repression” by the government. Jaiswal also implied that the US, which saw the arrests of students protesting the Gaza war, should be less critical of “fellow democracies” and that America will be “judged by what [it does] at home and not what [it says] abroad.
Meanwhile, globally, India finds itself in company that Vishwaguru may not like us hoi polloi to know about. The United States has once more designated India on its ‘priority watch list’ for alleged shortcomings in intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement, alongside China, Russia, Venezuela, Argentia, Chile and Indonesia. “These include inadequate IP enforcement, including high rates of online piracy, an extensive trademark opposition backlog, and insufficient legal means to protect trade secrets, it said. Among other things, India still needs to fully implement the WIPO Internet Treaties and ensure that copyright statutory licences do not extend to interactive transmissions,” the report added. It is worth noting that if a country slips further and is categorised as a ‘priority country’, Washington may impose ‘retaliatory’ measures.
In the last ten years, China has made significant strides in enhancing its air quality while sustaining economic growth. Now, the strategies it has employed to achieve clearer skies could serve as a valuable model for other developing nations, such as India, finds The South China Morning Post.
US Congress Body report considers ‘tying aid to India’s Human Rights Improvements’
Mere days after the US State Department’s scathing report on significant human rights abuses in India, another report by an independent US Congressional research body noted that the downslide took place under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called on the US Congress to consider tying aid money to human rights improvements. The Congressional Research Service in its three-page ‘India: Human Rights Assessment’ report noted that “the reported scope and scale of abuses has increased under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, particularly since their reelection in 2019.”
The report quotes extensively from the US State Department’s human rights report and other assessments which also warn of democratic backsliding in India like the 2023 the Varieties of Democracies classification of India as “one of the worst autocratisers in the last 10 years.” It also says that since 2021, the U.S.-based Freedom House has redesignated India as “Partly Free,” contending that “Modi and his party are tragically driving India itself toward authoritarianism.” It also observes the Modi’s government’s “rebuttal,” calling this report false. India has, notably, also decried the latest US State Department report, calling it “deeply biassed” and noting that the government attaches “no value to it.” “The Biden Administration requests $103 million in foreign assistance to India for FY2025. Congress could consider whether to condition some or all such aid on improvements in human rights and civil liberties in India.”
Excluded & uncertain: Pakistani Hindus in Rajasthan left in limbo post-CAA cut-off
In the wake of the Citizenship Amendment Act’s (CAA) euphoria, a stark reality unfolds for Pakistani Hindus residing in Rajasthan. Despite enduring persecution in their homeland and seeking refuge in India, they find themselves on the sidelines of legality. Stranded in bureaucratic limbo, these individuals confront an unsettling future devoid of citizenship rights and legal recognition. “ The Pakistani Hindu families which have migrated to Barmer — bordering Pakistan — years ago feel that the CAA or citizenship law is a waste until their life conditions are uplifted as many of them, even after becoming Indian citizens, continue to live in poor conditions and social stigma”, reports Ishita Mishra. Adding to their plight, an activist advocating for their welfare reveals a disheartening statistic: around 75% of citizenship applications in the state have languished in pending status since 2019.
‘BJP or bulldozer’: Assam villagers allege harassment by forest officials
Residents of a Muslim-majority village in Assam’s Karimganj have alleged that forest officials, forest staff, police personnel and commandos went door to door in their village as well as in others asking them to vote for BJP candidate Kripanath Mallah lest their homes be bulldozed shortly after the votes are counted, Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty reports. The villagers have approached a local court in the matter. Among those accused is special chief secretary of forests MK Yadava, whose reappointment into the bureaucracy by the Himanta Biswa Sarma government last year created uproar in Assam due to his alleged involvement in corruption. He is also seen as being close to Sarma.
The Long Cable
Supreme Court verdict on EVMs is disappointing
Madhav Deshpande
The Supreme Court (SC) verdict on Electronic Voting Machines is extremely disappointing and disheartening to see as a citizen of India who would’ve loved to see our existing election process improved to a point of common Indian’s trust!
Does ECI have any empirical data to establish that a large number of Indians actually trust the EVMs fully?
It was reported that the court asked what was the source of data for the complainants to claim that a large number of Indians do not trust EVMs. It was also reported that the court dismissed the survey done by the very reputable Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) as not trustworthy.
We would like to know if the court asked the Election Commission of India (ECI):
If they have any empirical data collected on the voting day, that includes number of voters who:
Saw the correct symbol on the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slip and saw the slip drop in the box,
Saw the correct symbol on the VVPAT slip but did not see the slip drop in the box,
Saw incorrect symbol on the VVPAT slip but saw the slip drop in the box,
Saw neither the correct symbol on the VVPAT slip nor saw the slip drop in the box.
If ECI does not have such empirical data,
On what basis does the ECI claim that a large number of Indians trust EVMs?
The SC should have instead asked the ECI these questions and to prove beyond doubt that the petitioners’ claims were incorrect – after all it is in the interest of the Indian public at large that the claims be meritoriously considered and answered by the ECI and not the other way around!
The global gold standard of democratic voting is to ensure that the vote is cast as intended, recorded as cast and counted as recorded
In the context of Indian voting system,
Ballot Unit (BU) light helps the voter to cast their vote as intended
It is the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slip and not the vote stored in the Control Unit (CU), that establishes the vote is recorded as cast.
It is only logical that counting VVPAT slips will satisfy the “counted as recorded” criteria, counting the electronic votes in the CU does not count what was recorded and seen by the voter.
The problem with votes in CU is that the CU waits for the response from VVPAT after the slip is printed. In absence of any positive proof of / details on the programmed response from VVPAT and its interpretation and processing by the CU, there is more than reasonable doubt that the vote may be altered before it is stored by the CU. I have also explained this in detail in my chat with Karan Thapar
It is the data in the SLU, not just the alteration of program in the chip:
As per reports, the verdict talks about the Symbol Loading Unit (SLU) being sealed and preserved. However, there is no direction to reveal the data in the SLU in the process of verification to address complaints from the candidates. The data in the SLU can make the VVPAT program misbehave. Excluding the SLU and its data from the verification process and focusing only on the program in the microprocessor is the gravest of errors.
It is extremely unlikely that the program in the microprocessor will be tampered with. However, it is very possible that the data in the SLU will have extra bytes other than just the necessary images. SC seems to have completely missed / overlooked this possibility.
This data in the SLU will not be audited during verification and the proverbial elephant in the room is the data given to the already existing program; and no one has seen the elephant!
Data changes the behaviour of an already existing program. i.e. the program will take an already coded but different line of execution upon receiving different specific data input–note that the program does not need to change. Only changing the data is sufficient.
Programs are routinely written to respond to various types of data like date, speed, height, amount, text and other values.
For example, an interest calculation program in a bank reads “senior citizen” and adds half a percent extra interest while calculating interest amount. The same program calculates normal interest for other depositors. The program remains the same, its behaviour changes based on the data it receives.
In a modern car that has automatic lights, the program controlling the lights remains the same, but as soon as the light sensor feeds lower intensity value, the program switches the lights on. Until then, the same program keeps the lights off. The program does not change, the data makes the program behave differently.
The old adage “Garbage In Garbage Out” tells us what data can do a program’s output. The SC seems to have completely missed this aspect of electronic systems.
The glaring conflict of interest:
The SC says the burnt memory will be verified by the engineers from the Manufacturer. Isn’t there an obvious conflict of interest here?
If a patient’s death is suspected to be due to wrong medication, does the doctor who treated the patient conduct the autopsy or is it some other doctor? Since it is a standard practice to use an independent autopsy precisely to avoid conflict of interest, why is such blatant conflict of interest not being addressed in the case of EVMs?
Technically, how exactly will the engineers “examine” the burnt memory and “declare” if it is corrupt or not?
Does India face such a dearth of computer experts that an independent expert committee is so difficult to form that we must go back only to the manufacturer, disregarding the clear conflict of interest?
Checksum:
One proven way of ensuring integrity of data is verifying the checksum.
For decades in Computer Science, the well-established idea of “checksum” is globally used to verify data integrity. Once a checksum is generated, a change of even a single byte changes the checksum. A checksum is an alphanumeric string calculated using a mathematical formula using every byte and its position in the data.
Checksums are widely used to ensure integrity of every important data item in every standard data repository. In the world of open-source codes, even an ordinary developer can see the checksum of the source they download. Developer then generates the checksum after downloading the data item to verify that the source and target are identical. Checksums are a public “metadata”, even for confidential data items.
Do the EVM manufacturers implement checksums? If yes, where are the checksums maintained? Is checksum for program code generated and stored in the non-erasable memory of the microprocessor? For an audit to happen, a value must be securely saved for future access. Such a previously stored value must then be cross verified with the value generated at the time of verification. If the values match, integrity will be said to be intact, if not, tampering can be proved.
Who will ensure that the two checksums actually match? Surely it cannot be the same engineers again. The SC does not seem to have directed the manufacturers to deposit the source values of checksums with a third-party constitutional body. In absence of such third-party oversight, the “certificate” about non-tampering unfortunately will be seen skeptically.
What about the code itself?
Besides, the entire focus seems to be on checking if the program has changed, without any consideration to the program code itself. The original program code itself may have execution branches that get activated upon reading certain data. This is eminently possible as we have seen in examples above, and no one will ever know about it since the data in the SLU is not asked to be revealed; nor is the source code being made open to public scrutiny.
What is the assurance that the program itself does not have undesirable, susceptible conditional code that will respond and alter values stored? Once again, we are asked to rely on the same people who design the system, write the code and manufacture the system. We are expected to overlook the conflict of interest, the possibility of collusion!
ECI fails to give a technically sound and logical reason for not making the code public
This report in The Hindu claims the SC said disclosing the source code will result in its misuse.
The ECI’s claim that the source code can be misused if made public, at this point supported by the court, is very difficult to comprehend given that the ECI itself makes the following claims:
EVMs cannot be hacked no matter what
EVM microprocessors are One Time Programmable (OTP) so no new program can be loaded in those
Microprocessors of these machines have been already programmed several months ago and these machines are already in the field, under secure custody of the ECI
The ECI is so confident about the secured custody that it has not bothered to introduce the electronic pairing process for the CU and VVPAT
If all the above are true, even if anyone wanted to, how can they “burn” a new program using the source code, even if the code was made public?
The new code can be burnt only in a new chip and then the new chip will have to be “soldered” into the “motherboard” hosting the microprocessor. Usually these chips are Surface Mounted Devices (SMD). A SMD device can be de-soldered and re-soldered using special purpose soldering machines. It is not a job done in a garage. This is a substantially non-trivial effort.
For the sake of argument, it will also have to mean that the EVMs can firstly be illegally accessed/accessed en-masse under the ECI’s nose, in order for any such potential new-code burning to be even theoretically possible. On one side ECI wants us to fully trust its security environments. That means no EVM can be stolen. So, no EVM can be re-programmed, even if source code was available.
What risk of misuse of source code are we perceiving here? We would like the court to help us understand, because in our considered opinion, the source code cannot be misused in any OTP chip once the chip is programmed, unless the chip itself is replaced. And such replacement is not possible given the impregnable ECI security.
If there is no satisfactory explanation of this perceived threat, we would like the source code to be made public, open to public scrutiny.
Making it open will also assuage all suspicions regarding the dialogue between the VVPAT and CU and bring in absolute transparency to the process – a fundamental aspect of almost a billion voters’ critical right to franchise.
When elections are getting slower, why does counting need be instantaneous?
The VVPAT slips are the only copy of the vote that has been viewed by the voter. Per the ECI guidelines Rule 56D (FAQ Q. No.2), the VVPAT slip has primacy over the electronic vote in the CU, since the VVPAT slip is seen by the voter and electronic vote is never seen by anyone.
As such, why are we wasting so much national time, effort and money in refusing to count the instrument that has primacy?
If the argument is of “speed”, our elections are getting slower every time. Now it takes 42 days. Voters from the first round locations must wait at least for 42 days for results, why can the voter of the last round not wait for 5 days? Why not think of the election as a 47 day schedule?
If the ECI were speeding up the matters and shortening the election period, the argument of speed could at least have some merit. In the current scenario, clearly their actions are inconsistent with their argument.
After all, who are the elections being conducted for, the people of India or the ECI?
Transparency is the cornerstone of trust. Healthy democracies are built of transparency, not on opacity.
The author is a former CEO of Tulip Software and a former consultant to the Obama administration in the United States. He is one of India’s foremost experts on EVMs.
Reportedly
A legitimate question being asked about Modi is when he would start campaigning on his own manifesto. Political scientist GS Vasu from Karnataka asked an open question in an interview, about why he is not talking about the BJP manifesto? In a desire to somehow evade conversation about accountability and the ten year incumbency, Modi is raising all sorts of red herrings. The reddest has been the Congress manifesto, which in the process has hogged a lot of publicity. People are curiously reading up on all things nyay that the Congress had so far not been able to draw eyeballs to. Maybe we see Modi suddenly stop talking up the Congress plan when he finds out? Hopefully it won’t be too late for him by then.
Deep dive
‘Army villages’ is the name given to villages where enthusiasm for enrolling in the armed forces was massive. How badly hit are they by contract soldiering/Agniveer? A new, important series by The Wire Hindi goes to these villages to meet young people there. Deep dive into it here.
Prime number: Rs 5 lakh
That’s how much the Supreme Court ordered the Union government to pay as a fine for filing a “frivolous” petition before it. “The present petitions are sheer abuse of the process of law”, the apex court said. The Union government had challenged a Meghalaya High Court order upholding a central administrative tribunal verdict – but the high court had disposed of the matter after the Union government itself conceded that a previous decision covered the issue.
Opeds you don’t want to miss
INDIA has a message of reformulating policy on the basis of inclusion and plurality. In contrast, the BJP presents itself as the party of aspirations (continues to sell dreams) without addressing basic inequities. Suhas Palshikar highlights the differences between the Congress and BJP campaign — the two registers are speaking about two very different ideas of India, and the contrast has become sharper.
“These are issues that call for a wide-ranging debate so that we can avoid the prospect of ‘rain washes out play’ or a ‘collusive walkover’ making the election seem ‘free and fair’ without giving people the opportunity to cast their vote without being subdued by fear or swayed by favours,” writes Ashok Lavasa on the Surat and Arunachal Pradesh unelected results.
DD News anchor calls Congress wealth survey communist ideology. It’s following BJP’s lead, writes Shailaja Bajpai.
“GDP growth is cruising, but India’s ‘demographic dividend’ is turning out to be a demographic nightmare without skills and jobs.” Alok Ray on why unemployment, underemployment, low incomes and stagnant incomes should be the poll issue.
Sunil Gatade writes on Modi’s diminishing impact. “The growing desperation of the PM indicates he fears that he could be in for “Ab ki baar, 2004”, when Atal Behari Vajpayee suddenly lost power even though the BJP was proclaiming from the rooftops “Who against Atal?”.
Arunachal Pradesh wants to resettle the Chakmas and Hajongs to Assam. But, Assam doesn't want them. Angshuman Choudhury argues that it is high time the Modi government protects them and stops using these two communities for political mileage.
Listen up
In an interview, journalist and writer Amitava Kumar reflects on whether India is still the world’s largest democracy. Unfortunately, the reality is grim and worrisome. He says, “If the rights of minorities are not being protected, then claims of democracy are fraudulent”. Listen here.
Watch out
Fahadh Faasil shares insights on his recent hit ‘Aavesham,’ discussing his collaboration with director Jithu Madhavan and the phrase “Re-introducing FAFAA.” He reveals the toughest scene to film, his audition for a Hollywood project, reflects on the success of Malayalam cinema and his experiences with icons like Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, and much more.
Over and out
Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi were all set to cast their votes today in Kerala’s Idukki constituency. Sandeep Vellaram explains: in the Tamil-majority Devikulam segment of the Idukki seat, it is common to see people named after political icons, such as those from the Nehru-Gandhi family as well as the Mahatma’s. One journalist said that supporters of the Left Democratic Front here bear names such as Lenin and Stalin, adding to the list of namesakes set to vote from this segment.
That’s it for today. We’ll be back with you on Monday, on a device near you. If The India Cable was forwarded to you by a friend (perhaps a common friend!) book your own copy by SUBSCRIBING HERE.
This comment is regarding “Supreme Court verdict on EVMs is disappointing by Madhav Deshpande in The Long Cable. I wish to suggest my views on his article because of more stress on its intricate coding etc.
The Supreme Court instructed the ECI to incorporate a system in EVM to get the symbol of the candidate printed so that voter could confirm about his vote. So there was no objection on the earlier system of recording of vote! There is no need to change the earlier system of voting through EVM.
In my opinion :- There is no need to change that system and introduce a VVPAT machine in between these two units such that vote is casted by VVPAT machine after recording. A parallel connection from the ballot unit to VVPAT is enough to get the symbol printed. So the voter is casting his vote directly to the control unit as well as VVPAT unit.
Another loophole in voting through EVM that I observed and informed to the ECI also is as below:-
The EVM machine is designed in such a way that it is only fit for use in election of any representatives of any village level government of up to 1000-1200 voters. In such cases the result needs to be declared then and there.
In all other elections the ballots of different booths were mixed so that no one can know about voting trend of each booth. This process of mixing votes of random booths before counting is missing if we use EVM for all other elections.
So in case of election of a candidate for parliament the candidate is contesting elections at say 500 booths and the winner who has won on most number of booths! Because tesultbof each booth is decalered separately!