Activist N Suresh Reddy led a demonstration in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Telangana, demanding the immediate abolition of Electronic Voting Machines. He argued that electronic devices are prone to failure and that India’s electoral process requires the tangible security of paper ballot slips. The protest targeted the Election Commission of India (ECI) following recent internal developments within the agency.
Reddy anchored his demand in legal action he initiated on May 27, 2025. He filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court seeking VVPAT slips to carry exact date and time stamps and be preserved for five years. The Supreme Court directed the petition be treated as a representation and forwarded to the ECI. On June 6, 2026, Reddy sent a formal letter and email to the Commission, requesting details on technical vulnerabilities.
The ECI has confirmed the formation of a committee to process these concerns. However, the Commission maintains its current stance that EVMs are standalone, non-networked machines. It cites technical safeguards like one-time-programmable controllers and mutual authentication as sufficient, rejecting the need for a return to paper.
Reddy dismissed the Commission’s technical assurances, stating that public confidence, particularly among the younger generation, is eroding. He declared that his group will wait until November for further developments. If the ECI does not act, Reddy said they will approach the courts again.