BJD Calls for Comprehensive Election Process Audit Amid EVM Concerns

In a significant move, former Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik declared that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was the first party in Odisha to highlight discrepancies between votes cast and votes counted, bringing these concerns to the attention of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The BJD has raised issues regarding potential errors in Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).

Patnaik expressed frustration over the ECI's response, labeling it as 'opaque rather than transparent.' He alleged that the ECI seemed reluctant to share critical information with political parties, raising questions about the electoral body's commitment to transparency. Patnaik emphasized the need for the EC to conduct a 'process audit' from the electoral roll preparation phase to the results announcement.

In a letter earlier this year, the BJD delegation demanded that the ECI undertake periodic process audits of the election process by independent entities or the Comptroller and Auditor General. The party insisted on publicizing these reports to mirror practices in other democracies, stressing the inclusion of citizen groups to co-monitor elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)