Nobody can fault the Election Commission’s choice of words. Yet there is an admission of culpability in its dubbing an “exaggerated projection of reality” the slew of complaints, cutting across political lines, against the malfunctioning of the electronic voting system during the polls for four Lok Sabha and nine assembly seats on Monday.

A degree of sophistry can also be discerned in the contention that the problems were more pronounced with the VVPAT (paper trail) recording devices than in the basic EVMs ~ the voter is least impressed by that technical difference.

Just as he/she will not be taken in by the juggling of figures to back up the “exaggerated” line: in such matters personal experience carries more weight.

Yet, what takes the cake is the explanation from election officials that the machines malfunctioned because of the hot weather: particularly since the critical elections for the next Lok Sabha will be held in April-May 2019 ~ unless Mr Modi opts to take the plunge earlier.

Heat can never be an acceptable alibi in India, surely Nirvachan Sadan knows that. Its top officials may function in air-conditioned comfort, things are very different for the staff at polling booths ~ not to mention the voters queuing up under a blazing sun. The EC is adding insult to the injury of voters who wasted precious time while the system was on the blink.

Not for a moment is this criticism intended to endorse allegations that the polls were rigged, or that we should revert to the old system of paper-ballots being counted by hand.

What does disturb is the EC’s adopting an officious posture, standing on false prestige, declining to accept shortcomings ~ without which no effective remedial action is possible.

Complaints against malfunctioning of EVMs are not being made for the first time, that they recur does impact the credibility of the system, maybe even that of the EC itself. Which is no laughing matter: since the political parties have, collectively, reduced elections to a dirty game.

It would not be inappropriate to calls for Nirvachan Sadan to undertake a comprehensive review, ask technical experts to analyse the glitches, and put in place methodical training for the polling staff.

There are Assembly elections before the big one a year from now, the Commission must muster the courage to use these to iron out the creases, particularly since 2019 will be a no-holds-barred affair.

The nation simply cannot afford an electoral machinery that does not command the confidence of the voters. It took years for the EC to earn the admiration of the people, but reputations can crumble in days.

There will be much noisy celebration when the results of the recent polls are declared: that noise should not deafen Nirvachan Sadan into imagining it emerged unscathed from an ordeal by fire when the mercury soared on Monday.