Arvind Kejriwal demands ballot paper polling in MCD polls

New Delhi: After coming across the reports of tampering in electronic voting machines (EVMs) in Madhya Pradesh, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday met the Election Commission demanding a transparent probe into the matter.

The Delhi Chief Minister alleged that before the Bhind bypolls in Madhya Pradesh, due next week, the voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines were dispensing BJP slips.

He went on claiming that EC claim that the EVMs cannot be tampered has proved false as in this case the software of the machines has been changed to benefit the BJP. He wondered why the machines were not dispensing slips of any other parties even once.

It may be recalled that Arvind Kejriwal had first expressed doubts of a possible tampering in the EVMs after AAP lost the Punjab Assembly elections.

Also Read: EC rubbishes EVM tampering allegations of Mayawati, Kejriwal

With the Delhi civic body polls around the corner, Kejriwal has called for using ballot paper system instead of EVMs. He has also demanded that till the authenticity of these machines is not ascertained, ballot paper system should be used in all the polls across the country.

He defined the development as an injustice to the voters of the country who are practicing their franchise to vote for other parties.

Other Opposition leaders including Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav have tagged the issue as an extremely serious one and have demanded a high-level transparent probe to find out why these machines were only favouring one party on every occasion. Congress party has also appealed for a probe into the matter.