MCD polls: Kejriwal demands withdrawal of tampered EVMs, calls for implementation of VVPAT machines

Withdrawal of tampered EVMs brought from Rajasthan for MCD polls has been demanded by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He said only VVPAT equipped voting machines should be used in the elections.

In his letter to State Election Commissioner S K Srivastava, he also demanded that state and nationally recognised parties should be allowed to examine EVMs to be used in the elections.

The AAP national convener sought to know why the SEC asked for Generation 1 EVMs, which are most the “insecure” with the least security features, to conduct MCD elections.

“We are really surprised that you (Srivastava) did not ask for VVPAT machines...Recent incidents of EVM manipulations from Dholpur show that the BJP has successfully managed to tamper the code/software of EVMs in Rajasthan because the state has BJP government and all machines are in their custody,” he alleged in the letter.

Kejriwal said he strongly opposed the use of machines sourced from Rajasthan for the MCD elections.

“Why are you insisting on conducting MCD polls with Rajasthan machines when it is clear that they are tampered. We demand that all these machines should be immediately withdrawn,” he added.

Kejriwal said there were around 15,000 EVMs available in the city which were sufficient to conduct the elections.

“All state and nationally recognised parties should be allowed for technical examination of the machines which are being used for the MCD elections. We also demand that the MCD elections should be held only and only with VVPAT machines,” Kejriwal said.

Noting the Supreme Court has categorically said that all elections should be held with VVPAT machines, he sought to know why the commission did not make an attempt to procure the machines.

“You (Srivastava) will have to walk an extra mile to restore that faith. Else it would be very dangerous for our democracy. I hope you accept our demands as promptly as you have been accepting BJP’s demands so far,” he added.

He said that public faith has been seriously “eroded” in the entire electoral process and EVMs.

Earlier this week, Kejriwal had hit out at the Election Commission, claiming that the poll body was acting like “Dhritarashtra” to help son “Duryodhana” (BJP) win the polls.

The AAP leader had also alleged that the Commission’s only intention was to bring the BJP to power in poll-bound states and that is why it was not paying heed to his request to investigate defective EVMs. 

Also read: Faulty EVMs: EC is 'dhitrashtra', will do everything to secure win for 'dhuryodhan' BJP: Kejriwal