Azamgarh (UP): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Thursday expressed concern over reports of EVM malfunctions in some parts of the Uttar Pradesh where polling for the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls are taking place and asked the Election Commission to take immediate steps to rectify them.
Akhilesh ,who arrived here to file his nomination papers, said he has been apprised about EVM malfunction in Bulandshahr and some other places.
“It is the responsibility of the EC to rectify the problem within 15 minutes where ever there are reports of EVM malfunction so that polling is held undisturbed,” the SP president said.
Akhilesh said people are not able to depend on the technology and the EC as well as the government should assure the people about it.
“The SP ,BSP and other parties have put their views on the subject before the Election Commission. The reality is the countries where EVMs were earlier used are today conducting elections though the ballot paper, he said.
Expressing confidence about his victory, he said the BSP and the SP have worked in Azamgarh and the BJP will have to give a report card about the work they have done here.
Also read: Second phase voting begins slow, EVM glitches experienced in Bihar & Tamil Nadu
1. Let us not overlook fact that Election Commission of India (ECI) is competent enough to handle all issues like malfunctioning electronic voting machine (EVMs) and politicians like Akhilesh Yadav should not raise unnecessary doubts about ECI’s way of functioning. 2. Let us not also forget that ECI had in the past given many an opportunity to anyone to prove that an EVM can be hacked. Fact is that not one individual has been able to submit such a proof. 3. Opposition parties are known to oppose use of EVMs for a silly reason- that it is possible for BJP to hack EVMs. 3. If BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan & Chhattisgarh could manipulate EVMs, BJP would have won majority in all the three States where the Assembly elections were earlier this year. 4. Let me repeat: we, citizen-voters of this vast country, know very well that today the ECI is quite competent to protect EVMs from being hacked or manipulated. Sooner the opposition parties accept that it is just not possible to hold election though paper ballot votes, better it would be.