Use EVMs for local body elections, BJP urges EC

A BJP delegation led by its Punjab unit president Sunil Jakhar met the Punjab State Election Commissioner here on Wednesday and demanded reversal of the decision to conduct local body elections through ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Executive president Ashwani Sharma, senior leaders Vijay Sampla, Som Prakash, Manoranjan Kalia, Avinash Rai Khanna, Rakesh Rathore and Vineet Joshi were part of the delegation.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Jakhar alleged that the AAP government had acted in collusion with the State Election Commissioner to introduce the ballot paper route as part of a conspiracy to manipulate local body elections.

He said local body elections had traditionally been conducted through EVMs. The decision to switch to ballot papers was taken overnight, allegedly under government directions, after the election schedule had already been announced.

Jakhar said no consultation with political parties was carried out before the change, in departure from established convention. He said the then Local Bodies Minister had himself stated that voting would take place through EVMs. The sudden reversal, he alleged, reflected the ruling party’s fear of electoral defeat and its intent to manipulate vote counting.