EVM Is Chor Machine, Hold Lok Sabha Election on Ballot Papers: Farooq Abdullah
While the manipulation of EVMs cannot be ruled out, it is expected to increase BJP’s chances of winning the Lok Sabha election.
By Rakesh Raman
The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said Saturday that the electronic voting machine (EVM) used in Indian elections is a chor (thief) machine which can be manipulated to change the outcome of elections.
Abdullah, 81, demanded that the EVMs should be replaced with ballot papers to ensure transparency in elections – particularly the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
“The EVM is chor machine. Its use must be put to an end. Nowhere in the world is the EVM used,” he said at the ‘United India Rally’ called by West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee.
Abdullah suggested that the opposition parties should approach the Election Commission and the President of India to get the use of EVMs stopped and bring back the old ballot paper voting system.
Although the ruling party BJP of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in favor of EVMs (electronic voting machines), the opposition parties have raised serious doubts about the security of these machines.
Lok Sabha Election
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Major political parties in India have repeatedly complained about the vulnerability of EVMs. It is also being observed that when EVMs malfunction, they vote only in favor of Modi’s BJP which runs with Lotus election symbol.
Although Congress defeated BJP in the recent Assembly elections of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh despite EVMs, it is believed that Congress would have won with many more seats had the voting happened on ballot papers instead of EVMs.
In fact, Congress victory on EVMs in Assembly elections will give an excuse to Modi’s BJP to use EVMs in Lok Sabha election. While the manipulation of EVMs cannot be ruled out, it is expected to increase BJP’s chances of winning the Lok Sabha election.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He also creates and publishes a number of digital publications on different subjects.
Photo courtesy: All India Trinamool Congress
