Just five days before the elections for Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, and Nagar Panchayats, the dispute regarding the use of EVMs versus ballot papers has intensified in Punjab. During a hearing at the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) explicitly stated that the EVM machines requested for the elections have already been dispatched from Rajasthan to Punjab, and the issue regarding a shortage of machines is no longer a valid concern.
The Commission further asserted that the commissioning of the machines—along with other technical procedures—can be completed in a mere one day. Appearing before a division bench presided over by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, the counsel representing the ECI submitted that all apprehensions have been allayed following a letter sent to the Punjab State Election Commission on May 20. The Court was informed that, after the Punjab authorities expressed reluctance to collect the machines themselves, the machines are now being transported directly from Rajasthan to Punjab. During the hearing, the ECI’s counsel stated, “The machines are on their way. Even at this very moment, they are in transit.”
**Machines to Reach Mohali**
The Commission also apprised the Court that the only remaining matter to be decided is the specific destination where the machines are to be delivered and which official will be authorized to receive them. The ECI stated that the Commission itself is making the necessary arrangements to transport the machines up to Mohali. Furthermore, full cooperation will be extended regarding the First Level Checking and commissioning processes.
This assertion is considered significant because the Punjab State Election Commission had previously submitted to the Court that, even if the machines were to become available, their inspection, preparation, and deployment would still require a timeframe of 15 to 18 days. It was on this very basis that the Commission had decided to conduct the local body elections—scheduled for May 27—using ballot papers instead of EVMs.
**ECI Submits Revised Timeline**
The matter pertains to a petition challenging the decision to conduct the elections using ballot papers. A day earlier, while submitting a detailed timeline to the court, the ECI had asserted that the delay lay with the State Election Commission, not the Central Election Commission. Subsequently, the High Court directed the Punjab State Election Commission to file an affidavit to clarify its stance.
During the hearing, Punjab Advocate General Maninderjit Singh Bedi questioned the very maintainability of the petition, stating that judicial intervention is limited once an election notification has been issued. Citing Supreme Court verdicts, he urged the court to consider the admissibility of the petition.
