Patna: Senior RJD leader Jagdanand Singh’s assertion that every electronic voting machine (EVM) in the recent elections had ‘25,000 pre-loaded votes’ is unsupported by procedural and technical evidence, as indicated by official records and established Election Commission protocols. EVMs utilized in Indian elections lack WiFi, Bluetooth, internet access, or any external connectivity, which renders remote or digital manipulation impossible. Prior to voting, each machine displays zero votes for every candidate, and a mandatory mock poll occurs at every booth with representatives from all political parties present. After the mock poll, the machine is reset, and the mock poll certificate is signed jointly by party agents, including those from the RJD.
The distribution of EVMs involves two rounds of randomisation: the first at the district level assigns machines to assembly constituencies, while the second at the constituency level allocates them to individual polling stations. These processes are conducted in the presence of political party agents, ensuring unpredictability regarding which machine will be assigned to which booth. Political representatives are present throughout the entire process of sealing, dispatch, polling, and storage of EVMs. Strong rooms are monitored with CCTV and secured with seals signed by all party agents. No broken seals, irregularities, or formal objections were reported by the RJD at any stage. Each EVM operates with a voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) unit, allowing voters to verify their selections.
Random VVPAT counts in each constituency act as a statistical verification, and no discrepancies between EVM and VVPAT results were noted. Singh has not provided substantial evidence to back his claims, and the RJD’s own polling agents signed the mock poll certificates, Form 17C (the official record of votes cast), and sealing documents without objections, contradicting the current allegations.