Chandigarh: Days before civic body elections in Punjab, the debate over the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) took a significant turn after the Election Commission of India informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the required machines were already being transported from Rajasthan and could be made operational within a day.
The statement was presented before a Bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu during proceedings linked to the upcoming Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat elections scheduled for May 27.
The national poll body told the court that EVMs had already been dispatched to Punjab after state authorities allegedly hesitated to collect them independently from Rajasthan. According to the Commission, the machines are currently en route and arrangements are underway for delivery within the state.
Representing the Election Commission of India, advocate Prateek Gupta informed the court that the only pending requirement was for the Punjab State Election Commission to designate the delivery point and nominate an authorised official to receive the machines.
The Commission also challenged earlier claims made by the state election authorities regarding the time needed to prepare the EVMs for polling. It argued that the commissioning process — earlier described by the Punjab State Election Commission as a lengthy exercise requiring over two weeks — could actually be completed in a single day with proper coordination.
The submission comes amid an ongoing legal challenge over the decision to conduct the civic elections through ballot papers instead of EVMs. Petitioners have questioned the shift in polling method, alleging that sufficient time and resources were available to facilitate electronic voting.
Senior advocates Chetan Mittal and Amit Jhanji appeared on behalf of the petitioners during the hearing.
Earlier, the Punjab State Election Commission had maintained that even if EVMs became available immediately, logistical formalities such as first-level checks, commissioning and deployment would take between 15 and 18 days, making their use impractical with the election date approaching rapidly.
However, the Election Commission of India countered that argument by telling the court it was prepared not only to supply the machines but also assist in conducting the required technical checks and setup procedures.
The matter gained further significance after the High Court sought clarification from the state poll body regarding its reasons for abandoning EVM-based voting. The court had also directed the Punjab State Election Commission to place relevant correspondence and its official position on record through an affidavit.
Meanwhile, Maninderjit Bedi, appearing for the Punjab government, reportedly opposed interference in the electoral process, arguing that judicial intervention after the issuance of election notifications would not be legally sustainable.
