Delhi civic polls: Kejriwal wants ballot paper, not EVMs; EC says no

New Delhi: Taking a cue from BSP chief Mayawati, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday questioned the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and sought the use of traditional ballot papers in the upcoming civic body polls in the national capital.

Mr Kejriwal directed chief secretary M.M. Kutty to write to the State Election Commission in this regard, a source in the CM’s office said. The move comes close on the heels of Mayawati questioning the “reliability” of EVMs. She had alleged that they were tampered with in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, where the BSP suffered a debacle.

Earlier, Delhi Congress Pradesh Committee president Ajay Maken also requested Mr Kejriwal to opt for ballot papers and shun EVMs in the municipal polls. “Serious doubts have cropped up in the minds of the voters as to the free and fair nature of the electoral process,” he said in his letters to the Delhi chief minister and the Delhi State Election Commission. While announcing the elections state election commissionee Sanjay Shrivastava rejected the request of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken to use the paper ballots, Mr Srivastava made it
clear that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in these polls.

“We started the preparations for the polls keeping in mind use of EVMs only. The dates have been assigned accordingly,” the State Election Commissioner said, adding, “Voting through EVMs is very safe. And, if the polls are to be held through ballot then some of the rules have to be amended.”