New EVM needed for Lok Sabha elections 2029, Election Commission asks for ₹500 crore fund from Modi government

Election Commission Strategy for Lok Sabha Election 2029: There is still about three years left for the Lok Sabha elections. But the Election Commission has also started preparing for it. The Election Commission has started preparations to purchase Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) on a large scale. According to the report published in Economic Times, the Election Commission has demanded funds of more than Rs 500 crore from the government for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

New EVMs will also be purchased from this fund and the existing machines will also be upgraded. According to the report, the Election Commission faces the challenge of a possible 46% increase in the number of polling stations in 2029 compared to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and obsolete EVMs.

Rs 500 crore needed for new EVM

Let us tell you that the Election Commission is planning to purchase 3.57 ballot units and 1.25 control units. By combining these ballot units and control units, the complete Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is made. More than Rs 500 crore will be required to purchase these new machines. According to the report, in view of this, the Election Commission has sent a proposal to the Centre, in which a fund of Rs 500 crore is required to conduct Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 2029. There is a possibility that the process of production and quality check of these machines will be completed by March 2027.

Approval of Rs 512.4 crore

Let us tell you that the Expenditure Department of the Commission has already approved Rs 512.4 crore for this purchase. Under this plan, the price of a ballot unit is Rs 8,577, which is 6% less than 2024, and the price of a control unit is Rs 9,737, which is 7% less than 2024.

How many years does an EVM last?

The Election Commission currently has 30.77 lakh ballot units and 22.14 lakh control units. Apart from these, the Election Commission currently has about 24 lakh VVPAT machines. Most of these machines are in use since 2013-14 and these machines are to be retired by 2029.

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Why the need for new EVM?

The reason for the Election Commission to purchase new EVMs is also the huge increase in polling stations. Now it has become a rule to make one booth only for 1,200 voters, whereas earlier there used to be 1,500 voters in one booth. This means that the 10.53 lakh polling booths that were created in 2024 will increase to approximately 15.39 lakh in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.