EVMs should not be used for coming LS, Assembly polls: Vaghela

Former Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela has demanded that 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well as upcoming Assembly elections in various states should be held through ballot paper and not Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

In a letter sent to Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat Thursday, Vaghela said EVMs should not be used as both voters and political parties have doubts about them.

In the letter, which he shared with the media Friday, the former Union minister said till the Election Commission reverts to paper ballot, Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) facility should be provided at every polling booth.

"Developed countries like Germany and the Netherlands reintroduced ballot paper after finding technical flaws and shortcomings in EVMs. In our country too, people as well as political parties are having doubts about EVMs following reports of tampering," Vaghela said in the letter.

Talking to reporters at his residence in Gandhinagar Friday, Vaghela claimed he will play a key role in coming Lok Sabha polls to ensure that anti-BJP votes do not get divided.

"I have visited nine states and met many leaders in the last one year. I am seeing BJP's downward graph. My role will be to defeat the BJP by ensuring that anti-BJP votes do not get divided," said Vaghela, who was with the saffron party before joining the Congress in the late 90s.

Vaghela also claimed that BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani, who represents Gandhinagar in the Lok Sabha, wishes to contest the 2019 election.

"I also met Advani-ji. He said he wants to contest. Then he said he may change his decision if the RSS asks him not to contest," Vaghela said.

Commenting on the issue of reservation for the Patidar community, Vaghela said as long as there is a Supreme Court-imposed cap of 50 per cent on total quota, any promise made by the government is like a "lollipop".

"If the Central government is serious about giving them reservation, it must amend the Constitution," he said.