Assembly polls: Row erupts as SP chief Akhilesh alleges ‘vote theft’ in UP
Yadav’s comment came a day after multiple exit polls predicted a big win for the BJP in the state, and the former CM said the entire exercise was just meant to create a perception that the ruling party was set to win
Two days ahead of the counting of votes in the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of trying to “steal” votes by manipulating electronic voting machines (EVMs) – a charge that the ruling party strongly rebutted.
Also Read| SP workers stop vehicle carrying ‘training’ EVMs, stage demo
Yadav’s comment came a day after multiple exit polls predicted a big win for the BJP in the state, and the former CM said the entire exercise was just meant to create a perception that the ruling party was set to win.
Click here for full coverage of UP assembly polls
“The Samajwadi Party is winning Ayodhya, that is why BJP is scared. Election Commission officials are tampering with EVMs,” Yadav said in a press briefing, citing purported instances of EVMs found unmanned in various locations across the state. He said a truck carrying EVMs was “intercepted” in Varanasi. SP workers also staged a protest outside an EVM strongroom in Varanasi’s Pahariya Mandi area.
Varanasi district magistrate Kaushalraj Sharma said EVMs meant for training were being transported in the truck, which was stopped by some “political people” who spread “rumours” that the machines were used in the just-concluded polls. On Wednesday, a second training session for officials engaged in the counting process will be held and these machines are used for “hands-on training” purposes, he said.
The EVMs which were used in the elections are all sealed in a strong room in the possession of CRPF and there is CCTV surveillance, Sharma added.
Also Read| UP Polls: Some seats in Prayagraj have always remained unwinnable for some parties
There was no response from EC officials in Delhi.
The allegations that EVMs are rigged or can be tampered with have surfaced repeatedly ahead of state and general elections in the past, with opposition parties seeking the reintroduction of ballot papers. The EC has not found any proof of vulnerability so far.
Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya trashed the charges levelled by Yadav. “A person who symbolises dynastic rule, talking about a revolution to save democracy is laughable. Only BJP is helping save democracy,” Maurya said.
At the briefing in Lucknow, Yadav also said that senior government officials in Lucknow were directing subordinates in districts to slow down the counting of votes in areas where chances of the BJP winning were slim. He also said the EVMs were kept in strongrooms and without informing the respective candidates, the machines cannot be moved or shifted from one place to another.
“If we have given votes, then I appeal to the youth, farmers and the general public that it is their responsibility to protect the votes. Where would democracy go, if votes are not counted. This is the last fight to save the democracy. After this, people will have to resort to a revolution and only then there will be a change. I appeal to all the party cadres and general public to keep tight vigil at places where EVMs are stored, till the counting is over,” Yadav said.