Regressive to think of using paper ballot again: Anna Hazare

Amid allegations of EVM tampering and demands for holding assembly elections by using paper ballot, social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday said such thinking was regressive.

"Science and technology are making rapid progress; the world is developing fast; And here, we are talking about using paper ballot for voting. This is regressive thought," Hazare told Times Now.

He said using paper ballot was time-consuming both during polling and counting.

Hazare's comments came on a day when his former protege and now Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged tampering with electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the just concluded Punjab elections.

His government has urged Lt. Governor Anil Baijal to get the April Delhi civic polls conducted through paper ballot instead of the EVMs. The Congress too has written to the State Election Commission seeking use of paper ballot.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati had claimed EVM tampering and demanded fresh polls in Uttar Pradesh.

Hazare said the Election Commission should instead use totaliser machines.

"Voting has to be done through EVMs but certain changes need to be done. Today, these machines indicate booth-wise voting results. But the Election Commission should start using totaliser machines. That will prevent people getting booth-wise voting details," he added.

Totaliser is a proposed mechanism to do away with booth-wise voting patterns.

--IANS

and/tsb/bg