In a recent development, the Delhi High Court has approved the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) request to release the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used during the 2025 Assembly elections in the Kalkaji constituency, where former Chief Minister Atishi emerged victorious. The decision came amidst ongoing legal challenges to Atishi’s election on allegations of corrupt practices.
Represented by Advocate Siddhant Kumar, the ECI argued for the release of the EVMs to be used in the forthcoming Bihar elections, emphasizing the need for their availability. However, the court, presided over by Justice Jyoti Singh, mandated that while the EVMs could be released, the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips must be preserved until further directives are issued.
The plea for the release of the EVMs was part of a larger case brought by petitioners Kamaljit Singh Duggal and Ayush Rana, residents of Kalkaji. They contend that Atishi, along with her polling agents, engaged in activities termed as corrupt practices aimed at manipulating the election outcome. Their petition, steered by Advocate T Singhdev, seeks to annul her election win.
Central to the allegations is an incident on February 4, a day prior to the polls, where individuals closely associated with Atishi were reportedly apprehended with Rs 5 lakh intended for voter bribery. The petition accuses Atishi of leveraging her then position as Chief Minister to unfairly influence the electoral process, including the misuse of government resources and personnel for campaign purposes.
Atishi, who secured her seat by defeating BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri with a margin of 3,521 votes, faces serious accusations including bribery, as stipulated under Section 123(I)(A) of the Representative of People Act. Additional charges against her include breaching the 48-hour pre-election silence period and submitting a false affidavit regarding a criminal case pending against her since January 11 at the Govind Puri Police Station.
