Pawar, Chandrababu Naidu voice concern over EVM "manipulation"

People are in a mood to change the Modi-led government but manipulation of EVMs is the "only worrying factor", NCP chief Sharad Pawar said here Tuesday.

He was speaking at a joint media interaction addressed by leaders of the Congress, NCP, TDP, Trinamool Congress, AAP CPI(M), CPI and DMK.

"I have been to several constituencies. The people are in a mood to change (the government), they want a change both at the Centre and in the state. There is no question (about it)," Pawar said.

"Our only worry is someone misusing this technology to manipulate elections...Our worry is manipulation through these machines," Pawar said.

"EVMs are vulnerable to programming errors," TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu said, adding that the BJP can get votes only through manipulation.

EVMs can be manipulated, hacked and even malfunction, he said. Only 18 countries have so far adopted EVMs, he added.

Naidu said the economy, business and agriculture are in a bad shape under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Andhra Pradesh chief minister said instances of EVM "malfunctioning and selective manipulation" of the machines were reported in the first three phases of polling in his state, Kerala, Goa and Uttar Pradesh.

Naidu said the opposition will approach the Supreme Court on the issue again and sought counter checking of at least 50 per cent of the VVPAT slips to ensure transparency in counting of votes.

Terming the Modi government at the Centre as "very dangerous", Naidu alleged democracy was in peril and being mocked under the present regime.

"To save democracy, we are asking Election Commission to counter check at least 50 per cent of all the VVPAT slips. And also, if there is any difference between (count of) EVMs and VVPAT slips, then the VVPAT trail has to prevail," Naidu said.

Naidu also sought to dismiss worries about the time taken in case all the VVPAT trails were to be counted.

"It will take a maximum of two days for counting to be over...between time taken and credibility, it is credibility which should prevail," Naidu said.

The conference was also addressed by senior Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde, AAP's Sanjay Singh, TMC MP Nadimul Haque, Mahendra Singh of the CPI(M).

AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the Election Commission is acting like Dhritrashtra. "You press any button, the vote goes to the BJP," he said.

Counting of 50 per cent VVPAT machines is not an unreasonable demand, Shinde said.