Once a street-level activist demanding justice after the 1992–93 Mumbai riots, Arif Naseem Khan is once again in the political spotlight, this time by forcing one of the first “diagnostic checks” of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Maharashtra.It was Khan’s petition before the Bombay High Court seeking verification of EVMs used in the 2024 elections in the Chandivli assembly segment, alleging possible malfunction, that led the court to order that EVMs be made available for such a procedure. While the diagnostics could not go ahead the way Khan envisaged, his doggedness is a reflection of his willingness to approach the judiciary, a characteristic that was the catalyst for his rise in Maharashtra’s political scene.From activism to politicsAdvertisementSoon after the 1992-93 Mumbai riots, a bidi-smoking man in his mid-30s would often roam the streets of the congested Jari Mari locality in Mumbai, soliciting funds to ensure that over 900 people who were killed in the deadly riots got justice.A native of Akbarpur in Uttar Pradesh’s Faizabad district, Khan, who started off as an ordinary Congress worker in the largely working-class neighbourhood, was instrumental in putting pressure on authorities for their failure in implementing the Srikrishna Commission Report, which had indicted both policemen and politicians for their communal conduct during the Mumbai riots. He was the first to file a petition in the Supreme Court seeking the implementation of the Commission’s findings.The rebellious Khan was, however, soon inside the political system, with the Congress giving him a ticket from Kurla in the 1999 elections and also ensuring that the first-time MLA was made a minister in the state government. Khan was a regular fixture as a Congress MLA, winning four consecutive elections from 1999 to 2014 and was a Cabinet member in successive Congress-NCP governments.AdvertisementHaving found a seat at the political high table, Khan’s demands for the implementation of the Srikrishna Commission Report subsequently got muted.Khan was also associated with the Congress’s push for the reservation of Muslims in Maharashtra, particularly during his tenure as a minister. As a Cabinet minister, he was part of the government that approved 16% reservation for Marathas and 5% reservation for Muslims in government jobs and educational institutes in 2014.Khan lost the 2019 elections by a narrow margin and, five years later, revolted against the party leadership during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections after it did not nominate a single Muslim candidate in Maharashtra. “I have no answer when people ask me why the Congress has not fielded a Muslim candidate. I also find it worth asking why a party whose foundation is based on the principles of social equality should not give a ticket to a Muslim candidate,” he said.The party, however, managed to pacify him and this year, his son Amir was given a ticket in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and he managed to win.Tampering allegationsIn 2019, Khan lost the elections to the undivided Shiv Sena’s Dilip Lande by 409 votes. In 2024, he lost to Lande again from Chandivali by more than 20,000 votes. After that, he expressed concerns about the functioning of EVMs in certain booths where he traditionally had strong support. The suspicion was specifically linked to unexpected results in areas that he considered to be his stronghold, prompting him to seek verification of select machines.Within 45 days of the announcement of the Maharashtra Assembly elections being announced on November 23, Khan submitted an application in the Bombay High Court requesting an inspection of the EVMs and VVPATs used in Chandivali. He also said the inspection was necessary to address “questions… regarding the functioning of the machines” and restore confidence in the electoral process.In February 2026, the High Court gave permission for the diagnostic checks of 20 EVMs.However, on Thursday, the proposed “diagnostic verification” of 20 EVMs was stalled after disagreements between Khan and Election Commission (EC) officials over the scope of the check.you may likeKhan objected to the procedure being followed, arguing that merely switching on the machines to show they are functional does not amount to verification. He has insisted that the process must include an examination of the microcontroller’s burnt memory and program data, as laid down in the Supreme Court’s 2024 order.Khan, accompanied by a technical expert and his lawyer, maintained that the current method was a “mockery” of the court’s directive, which requires engineers to certify that the machines have not been tampered with. The disagreement has led to the verification exercise being halted for now.Khan has formally made a representation to the EC seeking proper implementation of the order. He is awaiting a response from the poll panel, expected within about two weeks. If the EC does not allow a detailed technical verification, he is likely to approach the Supreme Court.