Kerala orders probe into alleged EVM hacking fraud targeting poll candidates
The Kerala government has ordered a police investigation into allegations that individuals posing as political insiders conned election candidates by promising to manipulate Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to secure favourable results in the 2026 Assembly elections. The decision follows a formal complaint lodged by Congress Member of Parliament Rajmohan Unnithan, who presented the matter to the state police.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala directed the Cyber Operations Wing to probe the case after receiving the complaint from Unnithan during a press conference in Kasaragod on Tuesday. The police have been asked to trace the individuals involved and ascertain the veracity of the claims.
According to the complaint, a person claiming to be a Congress leader approached party candidates contesting from the Kasaragod, Uduma, and Manjeswaram constituencies. The accused allegedly told these candidates that the BJP was planning to hack EVMs to influence the polls, and that he possessed special technology to prevent such tampering. He then demanded large sums of money from the candidates in exchange for his purported services.
It is alleged that candidates from Kasaragod and Uduma paid the demanded amounts, while the candidate from Manjeswaram refused. The complaint does not name the individuals who made payments, and no candidate has publicly confirmed the exchange. Unnithan urged the police to conduct a thorough and transparent inquiry to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
In a separate and similar development, Shanavas Padur, who was the Left Democratic Front candidate from Kasaragod in the last Assembly election, has made allegations against a person allegedly using the name of B.M. Jamal, a Congress leader and former CEO of the Kerala State Waqf Board. Padur claims that this individual approached him with a similar promise to rig EVMs in his favour and demanded money. Padur said he refused to engage with the person and reported the matter to the police.
B.M. Jamal has not yet issued a public response to the allegations. The police have not confirmed any arrest and have stated that investigations are at an initial stage. They have also not verified whether the person involved in the second case is indeed the named Congress leader or someone impersonating him.
EVM security has been a recurring subject of debate in India, with some opposition parties repeatedly questioning the reliability of the machines. The Election Commission of India, however, has consistently ruled out any possibility of tampering, noting that EVMs are manufactured under stringent security protocols, are non-network connected, and use one-time-programmable microcontrollers. The Commission has also conducted several demonstrations and supervised hackathons in which no successful manipulation was demonstrated.
Political observers point out that such scams often surface in the run-up to elections, when candidates are vulnerable to fraud. The Kerala Police have urged any individual who is approached with similar offers to report the matter immediately. They have also warned that impersonating a public official or making false claims about election machinery is a punishable offence.
The investigation will also look into whether there is a network of fraudsters exploiting the trust of candidates across political parties. Authorities have said they will examine call records, bank transactions, and other digital evidence to trace the trail of money. The cyber cell is likely to summon the complainants and any witnesses for detailed statements.
Elections in Kerala are scheduled for early 2026, and political parties have already begun groundwork. The state government has affirmed that free and fair elections are a priority and that any attempt to undermine public confidence in the electoral process will be dealt with firmly. The outcome of the probe is awaited, with many hoping it will clear the air regarding the safety and integrity of the state's election machinery.
