- India begins court-ordered EVM/VVPAT verification in Chandivali.
- Congress candidate’s plea led to Bombay High Court approval.
For the first time in India’s electoral history, a court-approved verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs used in the Chandivali Assembly constituency in Maharashtra will begin at 9:30 am on Thursday.
The Mumbai Suburban District Collector has issued a formal notification for the diagnostic check of EVMs and VVPATs deployed in the 168-Chandivali Assembly seat during the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024. The process will be carried out by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru, over a two-day schedule beginning April 16, ANI reported.
Bombay HC permits EVM ‘Dianostic check’
The exercise follows a petition filed by Congress candidate Naseem Khan in the Bombay High Court, seeking verification of voting machines. Although Khan had applied for the process and paid the requisite fee in November 2024, the exercise was delayed pending judicial approval.
Authorities clarified that this is not the first such verification in Maharashtra, noting that similar checks have already been completed for 17 candidates between February and August 2025. In the Chandivali case, the court has permitted the diagnostic verification of 20 EVMs.
Under guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India following Supreme Court directions, candidates finishing second or third in an election may apply for verification of up to 5 per cent of EVMs used in their constituency, subject to payment of fees and, where applicable, court approval, as per IANS.
In this case, the Bombay High Court granted permission in February 2026 after an election petition was filed, clearing the way for the verification process to proceed.
