No OTP needed to unlock EVM: Mumbai poll official rejects media report

A poll official on Sunday (June 16) said an EVM was a standalone system with "robust administrative safeguards" to protect it from any kind of manipulation and that there was no need of an OTP to unlock it.

Vandana Suryavanshi, returning officer of Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, was reacting to a report in Mid-day newspaper about a kin of Ravindra Waikar, the Shiv Sena candidate who emerged victorious there by a wafer thin margin of 48 votes, using a mobile phone connected to an EVM during vote counting on June 4.

“The EVM is a standalone system and there is no need for an OTP to unlock it. It is not programmable and has no wireless communication capabilities. It is a complete lie being spread by a newspaper. We have issued notice to Mid-day newspaper under sections 499, 505 of the Indian Penal Code for defamation and spreading false news,” Suryavanshi said in a press conference on Sunday.

MP’s kin booked

As per Vanrai police, Mangesh Pandilkar, brother-in-law of Waikar, was booked under Indian Penal Code section 188 (disobeying official order) on Wednesday for allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre in Goregaon on June 4, when results of the general elections were announced.

Speaking at the press conference, Suryavanshi said the personal mobile phone of one Dinesh Gurav, the data entry operator of Jogeshwari assembly constituency, was found in the hands of an unauthorised person and action is being taken in this regard.

"Data entry and vote counting are two different aspects. An OTP enables the ARO to open the encore login system for data entry. The counting process is independent and has nothing to do with unauthorised use of mobile phone, which is an unfortunate incident and is being probed," Suryavanshi added.

Manipulation ruled out

"Advance technical features and robust administrative safeguards are in place to rule out any possibility of manipulation. Safeguards include conducting everything in the presence of candidates or their agents," she said.

The official said neither Waikar nor losing candidate Amol Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena (UBT) had sought a recount but verification of invalid postal ballots was demanded and it was done.

Suryavanshi said CCTV footage in connection with the issue cannot be given unless there are orders from the competent court.

Congress seeks stay

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said the poll result of Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat must be stayed.

The Election Commission of India must call a meeting of all parties and discuss this issue thoroughly, he demanded. “There must be a probe into the unauthorised use of the mobile phone. The FIR has not been made public,” Chavan said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aditya Thackeray and Priyanka Chaturvedi also demanded that the CCTV footage of the counting day be released.

"This is a fraud at the highest level and yet the @ECISVEEP continues to sleep. The ‘manipulated’ winner’s relative was carrying a mobile phone at the counting centre which had the ability to unlock EVM machine. If ECI doesn’t step in this will be the biggest election result scam after Chandigarh Mayor election and will see this battle in the courts. This brazenness has to be punished," Chaturvedi said on X.

Shinde hits back

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday wondered if doubts were being raised over EVM’s sanctity in connection with the Mumbai North West constituency only because the winner belongs to his party Shiv Sena.

He was responding to a question tied to a report about a relative of Waikar, who defeated Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Amol Kirtikar by just 48 seats from the seat, using a mobile phone linked to an EVM during vote counting on June 4.

“Why are questions being raised about the outcome of only Mumbai North West constituency and not any other result in the state? Is it because my candidate, Waikar, won and theirs lost,” Shinde asked.

(With agency inputs)