Pune: The release of 36,038 electronic voting machines (EVMs) by Bombay High Court following disposal of 7 of 16 election petitions filed during the Lok Sabha polls has strengthened the availability pool of such devices, a senior state election official told TOI on Thursday. These EVMs were earlier sealed as evidence in election-related cases. "While additional machines will help, we have adequate EVMs to conduct smooth elections across all constituencies," a senior Election Commission official said.
"Of the cases that were disposed of by Bombay High Court and its various benches over a period of time, as many as 23,731 ballot units and 12,307 control units were released from the election petitions," the official said, adding that they had followed up with the authorities regarding freeing up of these sealed EVMs. While 9 petitions are pending, around 84,608 EVMs are stuck. Officials are hopeful that these would be released for use during assembly elections.
The remaining nine petitions are being heard on priority, with courts expected to complete proceedings before the assembly polls, added an official. The commission had earlier directed states to expedite EVM-related cases to ensure sufficient machines for upcoming elections. Election officials emphasized that proper EVM allocation and deployment plans are in place, with buffer stock maintained as per standard protocol.
Besides the recent Lok Sabha polls, data showed that during the Lok Sabha polls and assembly polls in 20.
