Conduct civic polls by paper ballot, not EVMs: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday asked the State Election Commission to conduct the upcoming civic polls through ballot paper instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Kejriwal's demand comes amid allegations by some political leaders that EVMs were tampered with in the just-concluded assembly polls.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader directed the Chief Secretary to ask the State Election Commission to conduct municipal polls using paper ballot, AAP sources said.

The municipal polls are due in April and the Election Commission is expected to make the poll announcement on Tuesday evening.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken also wrote to the Commission over the matter.

Earlier, Maken had made a similar request to Kejriwal saying the Chief Minister was empowered to hold civic polls on ballot paper.

"Many are doubting EVMs. Not prejudiced-nor casting aspersions on results. I want Arvind Kejriwal to hold MCD elections through ballot papers," Maken had tweeted.

After her Bahujan Samaj Party was decimated in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, party chief Mayawati was the first to allege the voting machines had been "managed" to favour the Bharatiya Janata Party.

She asked the poll panel to do re-polling using paper ballots in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The Election Commission subsequently rejected her allegations.

--IANS

vv/rn