As the Election Commission of India (ECI) prepares to announce the poll dates for Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday dismissed allegations of tampering with electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Speaking to ANI, Kumar reaffirmed the integrity of the EVMs, saying that they are “100 percent foolproof.” He emphasized the public’s continued trust in the electoral process, as reflected in the high voter turnout across various elections. “Citizens have shown their faith in the system by actively casting their ballots,” Kumar said.

The comments came in response to recent allegations from Congress leaders, who raised concerns about the vulnerability of EVMs.

Earlier, Congress leader Rashid Alvi had called for a return to paper ballots, citing the potential for manipulation. Alvi referred to Israel’s alleged hacking of Hezbollah’s pagers to question the security of EVMs. “If Israel can use pagers and walkie-talkies to target people, then EVMs can be tampered with,” Alvi said.

Last week, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh submitted a memorandum to the ECI, alleging irregularities in the Haryana elections. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also said that the party had compiled a list of 20 constituencies where candidates had filed complaints regarding the counting of votes.