Election Commission Declares Applying Substances on EVM Buttons as Tampering Ahead of Polls
39 minutes agoPolitics
32LENS
3 SourcesNew Delhi, India
TBNthebalanced.news

Election Commission Declares Applying Substances on EVM Buttons as Tampering Ahead of Polls

Ahead of the April 23 elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, Election Commission officials warned that applying fragrance, glue, or any substance on Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) buttons to detect votes will be treated as tampering, an electoral offence. Presiding officers are instructed to ensure all candidate buttons remain visible and report any such attempts to sector or returning officers. The EC may take criminal action or order re-polls if tampering is detected.

Political Bias
27%68%5%
Sentiment
47%
AI analysis of 3 sources · Published under editorial oversight by The Balanced News
Analysed 21 Apr 2026· How this analysis is produced· Editorial standards· Corrections

AI Analysis

Political bias across 3 sources
● Left 27%● Center 68%● Right 5%

The articles present a straightforward official stance from the Election Commission without political commentary or partisan framing. Both sources focus on the EC's warning and procedural instructions, reflecting a neutral government perspective. There is no evident representation of opposition or political party viewpoints, maintaining an administrative and regulatory focus.

Sentiment — Neutral (47/100)

The tone across the articles is neutral and factual, emphasizing regulatory measures and enforcement without emotional language. The coverage highlights the seriousness of electoral integrity but avoids sensationalism, maintaining an informative and cautionary sentiment appropriate for official election-related communication.

How 3 sources covered this story

Each source's own headline, political lean, and sentiment — so you can see framing differences at a glance.

SourceTheir headlineBiasSentiment
hindustantimesCovering candidate buttons with glue, ink, perfume to fall under EVM tampering: ECI sourcesCenterNeutral
theprintApplying fragrance, glue on EVM button to be considered tampering: EC officialsCenterNeutral
news18Applying fragrance, glue on EVM button to be considered tampering: EC officialsCenterNeutral

Coverage timeline

news18 broke this story on 21 Apr, 06:04 pm. Other outlets followed.

  1. 1
    news1821 Apr, 06:04 pm
    Applying fragrance, glue on EVM button to be considered tampering: EC officials
  2. 2
    theprint21 Apr, 06:23 pm
    Applying fragrance, glue on EVM button to be considered tampering: EC officials
  3. 3
    hindustantimes21 Apr, 08:05 pm
    Covering candidate buttons with glue, ink, perfume to fall under EVM tampering: ECI sources

Lens Score breakdown

32/100
Public interest0/100
Coverage gap100%

Well-covered story — coverage matches public importance.

Accountability flags

TBN's analysis identified the following accountability dimensions in this story.

  • electoral malpractice

    This story involves alleged interference in elections — voter suppression, booth capture, misuse of machinery, or funding violations.

Who's involved

Institutions and figures named across source coverage.

Government
Election Commission of IndiaElection Commission

Story context

Category
Politics
Location
New Delhi, India
Sources analysed
3
Last analysed
21 Apr 2026
Key entities
Electronic voting in IndiaNew DelhiPolling stationChairpersonReturning officerTamil NaduWest BengalPress Trust of IndiaEuropean CommissionElection Commission of IndiaElectronic voting machinePuducherry (union territory)