MCD election 2017: AAP says ‘not Modi wave, but EVM wave’ responsible for BJP victory | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
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MCD election 2017: AAP says ‘not Modi wave, but EVM wave’ responsible for BJP victory

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
Apr 26, 2017 11:37 AM IST

As trends of the municipal corporation elections started trickling in, the Aam Aadmi Party once again squarely blamed the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the party’s poor show.

As trends of the municipal corporation elections started trickling in, the Aam Aadmi Party once again squarely blamed the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the party’s poor show.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP has blamed EVMs for the party’s poor show in the MCD elections.(Raj K Raj/HT File Photo)
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP has blamed EVMs for the party’s poor show in the MCD elections.(Raj K Raj/HT File Photo)

Party leader Gopal Rai said this win wasn’t a result of a ‘Modi wave’, but an ‘EVM wave’. Rai was speaking to media outside the chief minister’s residence after a meeting with Arvind Kejriwal and deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

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Earlier, Delhi government’s media adviser Nagendra Sharma took to micro-blogging site Twitter to voice his concerns. “Sweeping Delhi MCD polls sweeping Delhi’s streets for a decade. When machines are with you human will is of no relevance.”

Senior party leader Ashutosh also blamed the machines for AAP’s performance. “The debacle clearly shows EVM fraud,” he said. “EVMs were manipulated. Democracy is in danger,” Ashutosh said.

The party had earlier also said that it will win the MCD elections if the EVMs work ‘fairly’. Kejriwal on Tuesday, however, threatened a “movement” if EVMs led to party’s loss in the polls.

On Sunday, when Delhi went to poll for the corporations, Kejriwal had tweeted:

The Delhi CM retweeted comments of party volunteers, some of whom blamed the low turnout on “doubts” over the machines and cited the example of the presidential election in France on Sunday in which paper ballots were used.

Kejriwal had earlier demanded that the election be postponed till arrangements for VVPAT-equipped EVMs were made. VVPAT (voter-verifiable paper audit trail) machines dispense a slip with the symbol of the party a person has voted for. The slip drops in a box and the voter cannot take it home. Voters can see their slips for seven seconds.

In an interview with HT days ahead of the polls, Kejriwal had said he would continue his fight against EVMs even if his party won the municipal polls.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Sweta Goswami writes on politics, urban development, transportation, energy and social welfare. Based in Delhi, she tracks government policies and suggests corrections based on public feedback and on-ground implementation through her reports. She has also covered the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) since its inception.

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