Election Commission defers decision on Botswana’s EVM Plea

NEW DELHI: Two months after the Botswana government requested the Election Commission to demonstrate and depose in favour of EVMs in its court, EC has cited India’s 2019 Lok Sabha polls to pull back from any immediate commitment to the African nation.

The EC has decided to defer any decision until the body is fully prepared for the Lok Sabha polls and the 12-lakh EVMs required for the elections are in its custody, EThas learnt. It has communicated the same to the Botswana Independent Electoral Commission, which has been in talks with the EC for over six months now.

It is expected that the EC will be in possession of 12-lakh EVMs by September-October. Once it is done, the EC may process Botswana’s request. Even then, an EVM different from the one that is used in India would be designed for that country.


“Once our EVMs are ready, we can consider Botswana’s request and ask manufacturers to design a new and different EVM for their elections. We have earlier helped Nepal and Nigeria too,” a senior EC official confirmed to ET.

The EC is wary of allowing any demonstration of the EVMs used in Indian elections in Botswana or elsewhere, keeping in mind the political rhetoric and suspicion around EVMs during every election.

ET was first to report that a delegation led by Botswana’s election commissioner had met EC officials on May 30 with a request that 4-5 EVMs be sent for demonstration in the African country’s court.