New Delhi, July 4: Representatives of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) met the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi on Wednesday and submitted a detailed representation demanding the replacement of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with traditional Paper Ballots in all future elections, especially in Andhra Pradesh. The party emphasized that voter trust, transparency, and accountability were at stake, citing serious anomalies during the 2024 General Elections.
YSRCP highlights EVM anomalies in Andhra Pradesh
The party pointed out that the recently concluded elections in Andhra Pradesh were marred by suspicious patterns, technical irregularities, and unexplained discrepancies in EVM functioning. These, they said, have shaken public confidence in the electoral system.
Vizianagaram Parliamentary Constituency – Battery tampering doubts
YSRCP representatives said that in Vizianagaram, EVM batteries that showed only 40–50% during polling day suddenly showed 99% on counting day. They stated that this raises serious concerns about potential tampering or even replacement of machines.
It was alleged that original batteries were not tested during mock polling and new batteries were inserted instead. Despite repeated requests, the original VVPAT slips were destroyed without proper verification. The Supreme Court’s direction on verifying burnt memory and microcontrollers was reportedly not followed. The party also claimed that CCTV footage from storage and counting centres was denied to contesting candidates, violating transparency norms.
Denial of proper verification process
In another constituency, a YSRCP candidate applied within the required timeframe and paid the prescribed fees to verify EVMs. However, the verification was done using mock polling on a new EVM, not on the actual machine used during elections.
According to YSRCP, there was no count or match between VVPAT slips and control unit data. The burnt memory and microcontroller, where actual votes are stored, were not examined. The original voting environment was not recreated, rendering the verification process meaningless. Due to lack of transparency, the YSRCP representatives had to boycott the process, after which the verification was abruptly closed.
The party noted that such issues would not arise in a paper ballot system where all votes are physically visible and countable.
Rayachoti Assembly – Sudden vote surge for TDP
YSRCP also highlighted a suspicious pattern in the Rayachoti Assembly Constituency. In 2024, there was an unexpected increase of 30,000 votes compared to 2019 — with nearly all of them going to the TDP, while the YSRCP’s vote count remained unchanged.
The total number of votes polled was 1,99,901. The YSRCP candidate, Gadikota Srikanth Reddy, received 93,430 votes (46.74%), while the TDP candidate, Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy, received 95,925 votes (47.99%). The margin was only 2,495 votes (just 1.25%).
YSRCP said that this pattern contradicts historical polling data from 2012 to 2019, making it statistically suspicious and impossible to verify in the absence of paper ballots.
Hindupur – Impossible voting pattern at same booth
At Polling Booth No. 28 in Hindupur, YSRCP alleged an absurd discrepancy in voting behavior. While the same voters cast their votes at the same place and time for both Assembly and Parliament, the voting results varied drastically.
According to the records:
YSRCP received 472 votes in Parliament, but only 1 vote in Assembly.
INC received 1 vote in Parliament, but 464 in Assembly.
TDP received 8 in Parliament and 95 in Assembly.
YSRCP questioned how such a sudden and massive shift in voting preference within seconds was possible without malfunction or tampering. They emphasized that such irregularities demand an immediate return to the verifiable paper ballot system.
Suspicious post-polling voter surge
YSRCP also brought to the Commission’s notice a mysterious 12.54% jump in voter turnout after the official close of polling at 6:00 PM. This meant that over 51 lakh additional votes were recorded post-closure, without any clarity or breakdown shared with political parties.
While some voting after closure is legally allowed for those already in queue, the scale of this increase in Andhra Pradesh is unprecedented and statistically abnormal. YSRCP questioned why no detailed data was shared with contesting parties and why such a large jump occurred, suggesting a potential data handling or procedural irregularity.
YSRCP reminded the Commission that major democracies such as the United States, Germany, France, and Japan continue to use paper ballots despite technological advancements. These nations prioritize public trust, auditability, and transparency—qualities EVMs currently fail to deliver, according to the party.
The YSRCP delegation concluded by urging the Election Commission to phase out EVMs and bring back paper ballots, especially in Andhra Pradesh. They asserted that as the world’s largest democracy, India must ensure free, fair, and transparent elections that earn the public’s complete trust.
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