Priyanka Gandhi urges political parties to 're-evaluate' use of EVMs
Apr 02, 2021
New Delhi [India], April 2 : Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday asked all national political parties to have a "serious" re-evaluation on the use of electronic voting machines after a video surfaced on social media purportedly showing an EVM being found in a BJP candidate's car in Patharkandi constituency following the second round of polling in Assam.
In a series of tweets, the Congress leader attacked the BJP and said every time an incident related to EVMs comes into the light, the Bharatiya Janata Party is found to be associated with it.
"Every time there is an election videos of private vehicles caught transporting EVM's show up. Unsurprisingly they have the following things in common--1. The vehicles usually belong to BJP candidates or their associates (sic)," tweeted Vadra.
"2. The videos are taken as one-off incidents and dismissed as aberrations 3. The BJP uses its media machinery to accuse those who exposed the videos as sore losers. The fact is that too many such incidents are being reported and nothing is being done about them," she said in another tweet.
The Congress general secretary added that the Election Commission should start taking decisive actions on complaints related to EVMs.
"EC needs to start acting decisively on these complaints and a serious re-evaluation of the use of EVM's needs to be carried out by all national parties," she tweeted.
An FIR has been lodged against unknown persons after they attacked a car, allegedly belonging to a BJP candidate, carrying an EVM used for polling. The EVM was being carried in the car after the EC vehicle broke down and officials took a lift in the passing car, as per sources.
"Last night a polled EVM machine was being taken in Patharkandi Vidhan Sabha, Assam when a crowd intercepted it as the car didn't belong to Election Commission," sources said.
"The EC car had broken down and officials took a lift in a passing car that was later identified as belonging to a BJP candidate," sources added.
The second phase of assembly polls saw a voter turnout of 74.76 per cent on Thursday. Polling for the third and final phase will be held on April 6 and the counting of votes will take place on May 2.
