Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Vows to Scrap EVMs

Resorting to fear-mongering about EVMs, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav vowed to scrap the machines once he captures power in the state after next year assembly polls.

Polls are due in the state early next year.

Yadav expressed his distrust about the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and even argued the world’s most technically advanced country USA is conducting elections through ballot papers.

He exhorted his party workers to vote in large numbers and ensure the victory of his party, the Samajwadi Party, in the forthcoming polls.

The Samajwadi Party had formed the government in the state, winning 224 of the 403 assembly seats. The voting had taken place using EVMs. The Bharatiya Janata Party had won only 47 seats.

In the 2007 assembly election, the Bahujan Samaj Party had formed the government, winning 206 seats.

The EVMs have been in use in Bharat since 1982 and are widely acknowledged for their contribution to the efficient voting and counting system in the country.

Booth capturing and massive delays in counting were the defining features of elections before the introduction of the voting machines in the country.

Since the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the country, many opposition parties have lost polls. And, then blaming the EVMs became their last resort.

The Election Commission of India has on multiple occasions cleared the doubts the political parties have about the machines.