SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has hinted manipulation of EVMs which resulted in the landslide victory of NPP candidate Conrad K. Sangma, who secured a margin of 1,92,212 votes defeating Congress candidate Dikkanchi D. Shira.
“There is an impression and doubts coming from our voters about manipulation of EVMs, and hence I am asking our legal team to examine the matter to take up future course of action,” said the chief minister on Thursday after returning from Tura.
According to the chief minister, every political party has its own vote bank, and while respecting the mandate of the people, there are concerns about the functioning of EVMs as raised by the voters.
“Probably the old EVMs used in 2014 elections were also used in this election and there are chances of technical defects,” the chief minister said.
Pointing out that there is a need to examine whether EVMs were manipulated, the chief minister said he is keen to know whether any third party checking was carried out before commissioning the EVMs.
“There is a need to give audience to these grievances and I have already asked the party legal cell to examine the matter,” he said.
Voters who are party workers are ringing up to tell that the votes cast by them do not tally with the results as shown in EVMs, the chief minister said.
Giving an example, the chief minister said that in one area, 75 persons voted for the Congress, whereas the actual result in the EVMs was not tallying with the votes polled.
Deborah congratulates Conrad on win
While Chief Minister Mukul Sangma blamed EVMs for the debacle of party candidate and his wife Dikkanchi D. Shira, MPCC working president Deborah C. Marak said “the party accepts the mandate of the people”.
“We have to accept the mandate of the people, and I have already congratulated Conrad for the victory,” Marak said on Thursday.
According to Marak, people chose Conrad to complete the remaining term following the sudden demise of P.A. Sangma.
She, however, did not believe that anti-incumbency played any role in the defeat of the Congress candidate, saying that it was the seat held by P.A. Sangma.
To a question as to why the ruling Congress in the State could not ensure the victory of its candidate, Marak said that MDCs belonging to NPP had worked hard at the grass root level which was one of the factors which led to the victory of NPP candidate.
When asked whether there was any complacency on the part of Congress legislators, Marak said the Congress legislators and the party members had worked hard for the by-election.
