NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a return to the paper ballot voting system and proposing a series of electoral reforms. A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale rejected the petition filed by Evangelist Dr. KA Paul, describing it as lacking merit.
Dr. Paul argued that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were vulnerable to tampering, citing purported concerns raised by global figures like Elon Musk and examples of Indian political leaders such as Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy questioning the reliability of EVMs. However, the Court dismissed these claims as unsubstantiated. “When Chandrababu Naidu or Mr. Reddy lose, they claim EVMs are tampered. When they win, there are no complaints. How can we take such arguments seriously? This is not the forum for these discussions,” the Bench remarked.
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In addition to advocating for the revival of physical ballots, Dr. Paul presented a comprehensive set of electoral reform proposals, including:
Candidate Disqualification: Instituting a five-year disqualification for candidates caught distributing money or liquor to influence voters. The petitioner also proposed a robust policy framework to address such practices.
Voter Education: Launching initiatives to increase public awareness about voting rights and encourage greater electoral participation.
Funding Scrutiny: Establishing a dedicated investigative mechanism to monitor and regulate the funding of political parties.
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Election Violence Prevention: Developing a structured framework to mitigate and manage violence during elections to ensure free and fair polling.
Despite the wide-ranging nature of these proposals, the Supreme Court found no substantive grounds to entertain the petition. Emphasizing that such matters were better addressed through legislative or administrative mechanisms, the Court dismissed the plea.