DIMAPUR: Alleging EVM tampering since 2014, Nagaland Congress has demanded VVPAT ballot paper voting in the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Briefing the media at Congress Bhavan in Dimapur in Nagaland on Tuesday, state Congress president K Therie said the Nagaland Congress will submit a memorandum to the election commission of India demanding the same.
Therie also appealed all political parties to support the demand of Nagaland Congress for transparency in voting and counting process.
He claimed that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) are not tamper-free.
“It can be reset and reused for polling. It is not one time programmable,” he added.
“They (BJP leaders) say it is tamper-free but when you open it, you will find many faults,” he said.
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The service engineers from the manufacturing companies very well duplicate the EVMs, he stated.
He said the Nagaland Congress will go to the villagers during election to explain to them how the EVMs cab be tampered.
The Nagaland Congress chief said in the villages in the state, only two-three people vote in a polling station while other villagers are sent to the fields.
This is done by the ‘intellectuals’ not by the villagers, he said.
Alleging that 19 lakh EVMs went missing since 2014, Therie said these machines are found in the houses of the BJP leaders.
He alleged that while the manufacturers while made 40 lakh EVMs, only 20 lakh of them are available.
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“Where are the remaining 20 lakh EVMs. What kind of theft they are trying to commit,” he asked.
Therie also claimed that in reality, only 12 to 14 lakh EVMs are required in the entire country.
Therie said he is also going to raise the issue in the coming chintan sivir of the Congress in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
On the use of muscle power and big money during elections in Nagaland, Therie said: “We all must rise to correct these wrongs.”