After faring badly in the Hamirpur assembly by-election, BSP president Mayawati on Friday alleged "misuse of EVMs by the BJP" and urged her party workers not to get disheartened by the poll debacle.
Claiming that there were reports of glitches in the EVMs in 370 parliamentary constituencies across the country in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Thackrey said that his party will launch a massive campaign against using EVMs in Indian elections in which several opposition leaders, including Banerjee and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, will be present.
An EVM is an Electronic Voting Machine that is used to conduct electronic voting in elections. EVM’s have been in use since 1999 in India, ensuring tamper-proof voting. EVM is designed with two units: the control unit and the balloting unit.
"Do not forget that the EVMs were earlier used in England, France, Germany and America. But they have now stopped using them... So why cannot we bring the ballot papers back?" she said.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha in reply to the Motion of Thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind's address to Parliament, Modi also pulled up the opposition for not attending a meeting called by him to discuss the idea of simultaneous parliamentary and state elections.
The party, which has been crying foul over the use of EVMs in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls, on Monday said their agenda for the protest was - "No to EVMs, Yes to paper ballots."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday insisted that those living in West Bengal will have to learn to speak in Bengali.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that majority of EVMs were pre-programmed by the BJP during the recent Lok Sabha polls.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanded on Friday the setting up of a collegium on the lines of the Supreme Court to appoint election commissioners, asserting that the three nominated members of the poll panel should not be given the mandate to hold elections.
A voter who claims that the electronic voting machine (EVM) or the paper trail machine did not recorded his or her vote correctly is allowed to cast a test vote under Rule 49 MA of the Conduct of Election Rules.
Trinamool Congress supremo, who had announced the formation of 'Jai Hind Vahini' and 'Banga Janani Vahini' by the party's youth and women workers on Thursday to counter the rise of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP in the state, also named the party leaders who would head the groups during Friday's meeting.
Mayawati has also chosen not to start criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at this point. She has adopted a wait-and-watch policy though she will not be attending the swearing-in ceremony of Modi and his cabinet on Thursday evening.
After four hours of counting, Election Commision data shows BJP in the lead. Soon after, PM Modi tweeted, 'Together we will build a strong and inclusive India'.
Actor turned politician, Urmilla Matondkar has alleged the EVM substition. According to her, the signatures and the machine numbers are different.
Questioning the integrity and impartiality of the Election Commission, without even a shred of solid evidence, and that too, even before the votes are counted, amounts to insulting democracy.
The BJP-led NDA meeting is being seen as its show of strength and projection of a united front by the ruling alliance ahead of counting of votes on May 23, following which a new government will assume charge.
On a day it dismissed allegations that the voting machines used in the Lok Sabha election were being switched with fresh ones ahead of counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission Tuesday set up a 24-hour control room here to monitor complaints relating to EVMs.
The Election Commission of India on Tuesday refuted Opposition's allegations regarding movement of EVMs purportedly to replace the polled voting machines in the strongrooms.
In the memorandum, the opposition leaders have also demanded that if any discrepancy is found anywhere during the VVPAT verification, 100 per cent counting of paper slips of VVPATs of all polling stations of that assembly segment should be done.
“Onus on ensuring institutional integrity in this case(security of EVMs) lies with the Election Commission, they must do so and put all speculations to rest,” Mukherjee said in a statement.
Top News
