Lalu hints at EVM rigging, asks RJD workers to be alert

During his 20-minute speech, Prasad also spoke about economic contraction in the country after the Covid pandemic, galloping inflation, unemployment and reiterated his demand for caste census.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday said his party could have lost the 2020 Bihar assembly elections due to manipulation of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and asked party workers, especially polling agents, to be alert.

Rashtriya Janta Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav (HT File)

“Our polling agents wake up at 8 am, after the polling starts, whereas polling personnel start putting the EVMs from 4 am. There is a mock poll done before the actual polling and EVM. If we are not alert, there is always a possibility that some EVMs could be ‘loaded’ with votes before polling. So, one should first check the EVMs and count if there are any votes already registered in the ballot machines. These are technical things but we all should understand this and be alert,” Prasad, who has been recuperating from his long illness in New Delhi, told his party’s block presidents at the concluding day of the two-day training programme for party workers through video conferencing.

In the 2020 polls for the the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the RJD-led grand alliance had won 110 seats, just 12 less than the simple majority figure of 122.

Prasad favoured “breaking” the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations if the population of SCs, STs and OBCs was found to be more than half the total.

“Quotas have been decided taking into account the Census conducted before Independence. We must have a fresh estimation of the population of different social segments,” the RJD chief said.

He said his health had improved and that he would soon be coming to Patna. “I will be visiting all districts and meet you all soon,” he said.

The former Bihar chief minister was full of praise for his younger son and leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav for having organised the training programme. “Tejashwi has become an acceptable leader in Bihar and everybody says he will go far. Such training sessions should be held more regularly as it gives opportunity to young leaders to hone their skills,” he said.

The RJD chief said his party workers must learn from the disciplined and committed cadre based organizational structure in left parties. He also suggested that party workers should wear a gamcha and green topi (small cap) for their identity as an RJD worker, as is prevalent in parties like Samajwadi Party.