Opposition to meet EC today, will raise demand for paper ballots
New Delhi, Aug 27 (IBNS): Several opposition parties will once again raise their demand for the use of paper ballots in upcoming elections, at a meeting with the Election Commission (EC) on Monday, media reports said.
The EC has called seven national and 51 state recognised political parties to attend the meeting.
Electoral rolls, expenditure of political parties and timely submission of annual audited reports are among various issues which will be discussed on Monday's meeting.
Not only the Opposition but Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s ally Shiv Sena have been speaking in favour of usage of ballot papers in elections for quite some time now.
The opposition parties who are demanding ballot papers include the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Telegu Desam Party (TDP). Janata Dal (Secular), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Samajwadi Party (SP), CPI, CPI-M, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), DMK and others.
The questions were raised about the functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs) by the BSP, immediately after the 2017 Uttar Pradesh state poll, which wes swept by the BJP.
In May this year, the Shiv Sena and the NCP had alleged that the EVMs were not functioning properly during the bypolls in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seats of Maharashtra.
While the BJP had won the Palghar seat, the NCP emerged victorious in Bhandara-Gondia constituency.
The EC will also discuss how to increase women's participation in poll process at the meeting.
Issues like alternative modes of voting for domestic migrants and absentee voters will also be taken up on Monday.
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