Chandigarh, May 13 (PTI) A delegation of the Punjab BJP on Wednesday met the state election commissioner and demanded that the decision to replace EVMs with ballot papers in the upcoming local body elections be reversed.
The delegation was led by Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and comprised state working president Ashwani Sharma and senior leaders Vijay Sampla, Som Prakash, Manoranjan Kalia, Avinash Rai Khanna, Rakesh Rathore and Vineet Joshi.
Speaking to reporters, Jakhar alleged that the AAP government — in collusion with the state election commissioner — introduced this rule of holding polls through ballot papers “as part of a conspiracy to manipulate local body elections”.
He accused the ruling party of using the same method in Panchayati Raj institution elections.
Jakhar said local body elections have traditionally been conducted using EVM machines, but after the announcement of elections, the state election commission — allegedly acting under the government directions — suddenly “decided overnight” to conduct the elections through ballot papers instead.
It has always been a convention to hold meetings with all political parties before elections, but this time, no such consultation was carried out, he claimed.
Moreover, the local bodies minister had recently stated that voting would take place through EVMs, but the AAP government, “foreseeing its defeat”, changed the decision so that manipulation could take place during vote counting and elections could be “looted” by undermining democracy, he alleged.
The Punjab BJP president also said that during the Panchayati Raj institution elections, the viral audio call involving a police officer in Patiala had already exposed how the AAP government allegedly manipulated those elections, and now the “same strategy is being used for the local body elections”.
He asserted that the BJP would strongly oppose this. He also alleged that reserved wards were being changed, many people were unable to access voter lists, and serious irregularities had taken place in ward delimitation as well.
Jakhar urged the election commissioner to immediately reverse the decision in order to maintain neutrality and to conduct polling through EVMs in accordance with established practices, rules, and the directions issued from time to time by the Supreme Court.
Polling for 105 municipal bodies in Punjab, including eight municipal corporations, is scheduled for May 26 and counting will take place on May 29. PTI CHS PRK
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