Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has urged all political parties to boycott elections till such time verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines or ballot paper systems are made available.
Raj Thackeray wrote a letter to the chiefs of various political parties, saying that since the 2014 elections, there have been doubts about the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
He claimed that allegations that EVMs are being tampered with have been confirmed in all subsequent polls.
“In so many constituencies, our corporators and MLAs worked relentlessly and yet, faced defeat. In fact, in so many places, the candidates got zero votes. Now, how is this possible?” Thackeray questioned in his letter.
"First world countries like USA, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Korea have chosen to discontinue the use of EVMs and reinstated the ballot system.
The only countries still using EVMs are India, Nigeria and Venezuela among others. Why are we insisting on this disputable method?” Thackeray wrote.
He said that one could not push aside the possibility of EVMs being hacked during the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls next year. “I appeal to all political parties to come together and demand that till such time VVPAT machines or ballot paper systems are not made available, we will not fight elections,” he said.
