The Election Commission on Friday assured all political parties that it would use the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) system) with EVMs in all future elections.

The use of VVPAT would not only ensure total credibility and transparency in the voting but would also put to rest all controversy relating to tampering of EVMs, the Commission said after an eight-hour meeting with all recognised regional and national political parties. The meeting of all regional and national political parties was called specially to discuss issues related to EVMs, and use of money power in elections.

On the allegations of tampering of EVMs, Chief Election Commissioner Naseeem Zaidi challenged all political parties and other stakeholders to tamper with the voting machines under “control and custody of ECI”. “The Commission will hold a challenge and offer opportunity to political parties to demonstrate that EVMs used in the recently concluded Assemblies elections were tampered or that EVMs can be tampered even under the laid down technical & administrative safeguards,” said a senior officer of the EC.

The commission will soon announce the date and communicate it to all recognised political parties. The EC also demonstrated the wide range of technical, administrative protocol and procedural safeguards that fortify the EVMs and VVPATs against any sort of manipulation or tampering.

In his concluding remarks, the CEC assured all political parties that it maintains “neutral stand” and “equidistance” from all political parties “as it has no favourite which has enhanced India’s reputation in the eyes of the global community”.

While most of the political parties including Congress, BJP, CPI (M), AIADMK, DMK expressed confidence in EVMs with VVPAT, Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Trinamul Congress stuck to their earlier demand of polling through ballot papers.

Trinamul Congress leader Mukul Roy said EVMs are not reliable and his party demanded paper ballots. “Even most advanced countries in the world have returned to paper ballots,” he said after coming out of the meeting. CPI leader Atul Anjan raised the same issue and said if all was right why were advanced countries not using EVMs. "The whole issue is about the ethos and integrity of the election process,” he said. BSP leader Satish Mishra also demanded return of ballot papers.

CPI-M leader Nilotpal Basu, however, agreed to use of EVMs with VVPAT and said at least 15% VVPATs should be counted and checked with EVMs. The Congress also welcomed EC’s announcement that VVPAT would be used in all future polls. “This is the biggest achievement of the meeting that the commission has agreed to use VVPAT in all future elections,” said Congress leader Vivek Tankha.