No takers for EVM hacking challenge: As deadline looms, parties remain silent, says Election Commission

New Delhi: With less than 24 hours left for the interested political parties to apply to participate in the Election Commission’s challenge to try and tamper with the electronic voting machines, none have applied.

On Saturday last, the Commission had announced that the challenge to hack and tamper with the electronic voting machines (EVMs) would take place on 3 June and the seven recognised national and 49 state parties can apply by 26 May, 5 pm, to participate in the challenge.

But till tonight, nobody has applied, Commission sources said.

After the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the BSP and the AAP had questioned the reliability of the machines.

Later, several opposition parties, except the AAP, had urged the EC to revert to paper ballot, saying the faith of the people in EVMs has eroded.

A demand of the AAP to tamper with the motherboard of the machine was rejected by the Commission on Thursday.

It said change in circuits would mean the EVM is no longer the one used by the Commission.