4-member opposition committee on EVMs

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that a four-member committee has been formed to take a call on the stand the opposition parties would have about the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in view of the coming Lok Sabha elections.

"We have decided to form a committee. Its members are Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, SP president Akhilesh Yadav, BSP leader Satish Mishra, and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi," she said.

"Whatever the committee members decide, accordingly we will decide our course of action on the EVM in view of the coming Lok Sabha elections," Banerjee said.

Mishra said: "There can be rigging of polls through EVMs. We will soon meet the Election Commission of India (ECI) to register our concern about EVMs."

Manu Singhvi, Congress leader, said: "In most of the countries, the EVMs are not in use for conducting polls. Why shouldn't we return to the ballot paper?"

Said Farooq Abdullah, former J&K chief minister, "We want a free and fair poll. We should return to the ballot paper. Though little time is left for the Lok S, we need to ensure that the polls are conducted in a fair manner. This government is a threat to the Constitution.