New Delhi: A major row erupted on Saturday over a video of VVPAT demonstration by a poll official in Madhya Pradesh where the machine attached to an EVM allegedly dispensed slips of only BJP as the opposition knocked at the EC’s doors seeking scrapping of EVM use in upcoming polls.
The Election Commission sought a detailed report from the district poll authorities in Bhind, where a bypoll is due on April 9. Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Saleena Singh, who was seen in the video, however denied reports that voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machine dispensed only BJP slips.
She said they have sent their report to EC. VVPAT is a machine which dispenses a slip with the symbol of the party for which a person has voted for. The slip drops in a box but the voter cannot take it home. It has only been used on trial basis in some places.
Latching onto the report, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had raised doubts on the functioning of EVM’s after the recent Assembly elections, sought a through probe and return to old ballot paper system in upcoming polls including in Gujarat.
A delegation of senior Congress leaders comprising Mohan Prakash, Digvijaya Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi here demanded scrapping of EVMs forthwith and action against officials involved.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal separately met the CEC urging him to investigate cases of “faulty” EVMs and ascertain if their software can be tweaked “in favour of the BJP”. He also demanded ballot papers be reintroduced in the country.
“All parties should be taken into confidence for the credibility and viability of use of EVMs or to revert back to the old system of ballot papers,” the Congress delegation said.
The Congress memorandum said, “in the face of revelations abour tampering of EVMs, it is necessary that the entire process should be reexamined thoroughly and all agencies and persons involved in maintenance, operation and data feedings of machines be examined before use of EVMs in further polls.”
Congress general secretary Mohan Prakash said, “We have demanded that elections be held on ballot paper because every section has expressed doubts on EVMs. If there are doubts on votes cast, then democracy is weakened.”
Another party general secretary Digvijay Singh said, “The next elections, be it in Gujarat or elsewhere, should be held with ballot papers and the use of EVMs be stopped.”He also questioned the “compulsion” of “using EVMs whose chip was imported”.
“When elections all over the world, including in the developed countries, are taking place with ballot paper, why should we have problems in doing so,” Singh said, adding he had doubts on the efficacy of EVMs right from day one.
Singh added, “From (LK Advani) Advani to Mayawati to (Arvind) Kejriwal, I stand with them on this.” BJP veteran Advani had raised doubts over EVMs after 2009 polls.(PTI)
