Election Commission orders probe into EVM malfunction allegations in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker Lok Sabha seat

Raipur
The Election Commission of India has ordered an investigation into allegations of EVM malfunction in the Kanker Lok Sabha seat election in Chhattisgarh. BJP’s Bhojraj Nag won the seat, defeating Congress’s Biresh Thakur by a margin of 1,884 votes.
Following the election, the Congress candidate expressed concerns about possible irregularities during the voting process. A complaint was also filed with the Election Commission seeking verification/checking of the EVMs. Previously, the result for this seat was the last to be announced due to a recount on the counting day. Dissatisfied with the result, the Congress candidate wrote to the Election Commission, demanding an EVM investigation.
The Election Commission stated that there were eight complaints regarding EVM malfunction in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, including the Kanker seat in Chhattisgarh. These complaints called for the examination of the EVM’s memory and microcontroller.
Subsequently, the Election Commission ordered an investigation of four booths in three assembly constituencies of Kanker: Sanjari Balod, Gunderdehi, and Sihawa. This includes two booths from Sanjari Balod and one booth each from the other two areas.
This is the first time that the ECI has issued guidelines for EVM checks. These guidelines were released on June 1, before the counting on June 4. The guidelines allow the second-place candidate to apply for an EVM check after the results are announced.
The Election Commission has set a fee of 50,000 rupees for checking an EVM. However, the candidate must apply within seven days of the result announcement.
Congress candidate Biresh Thakur,  who narrowly lost the Kanker seat, accused authorities of changing EVMs at four centers. He submitted a memorandum to the Collector demanding an investigation into EVMs in the Sanjari Balod, Gunderdehi, and Sihawa assembly areas.
Biresh Thakur stated that the EVM numbers provided to agents after voting were different on the counting day, and the Election Commission must explain this discrepancy. He cited a Supreme Court order stating that EVMs with suspected issues can be investigated. Therefore, he applied for an investigation into the four EVMs with differing numbers.
Thakur also accused the then Kanker Collector of withholding vote count updates for two hours after the 16th round. He demanded an investigation into the Collector’s mobile details, alleging that the Collector received phone calls from higher-ups, which could be proven by examining the call details.