Andhra Pradesh’s ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) requested the State Election Commissioner (SEC) Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar to choose an application (mobile app) developed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and not any alleged private app to monitor the panchayat polls on Friday.
“It is hereby requested that the SEC for the state of AP may choose the apps created by the central election commission (ECI)aand desist from placing reliance on private entity,” said YSRCP general secretary Lella Appi Reddy.
He alleged that Kumar had disclosed about an app developed by the state election commission during a video conference with the district collectors which has been notified for use in the election process.
Reddy reminded that state government app, Nigha, already exists for this purpose while there were no details of the private app developed by the commission in the public domain.
Noting that the creating of a new app in the current circumstances is objectionable, he said that brining up such an app involves invitation of tender, collection of details like the name of the company, design, creation, hosting server, data accuracy, resolution mechanism and approval from the state machinery.
“Transparency in the development of app is vital and the right of the public if any public money is spent and is going to decide the rights of the public,” the YSRCP leader highlighted.
Reddy said the exercise of creating a new app at a time when the election process has already commenced is suspicious and lacks transparency.
According to the political party leader, the state election commission does not have the technical resources of its own to develop an app.
He also said that if the election commission is so keen on using an app, it could have chosen the Central alternative, CVIGIL, to the state app Nigha.
“CVIGIL gives live access to the server which makes it foolproof. Moreover, it is not safe if an app developed and being hosted on a private server, as the sensitive information related to the elections will be controlled by a private entity and may lead to mishandling, malpractice, loss or pilferage of sensitive data,” he added.
Reddy stressed that there was no need to bring a new app which may jeopardise sensitive data when the state and Central election apps already exist.
