Opposition parties to meet poll body over concerns about EVMs
New Delhi, May 21 (IBNS): After the exit polls predicted a landslide victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 21 opposition parties will rally to the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday to voice their concerns about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines, media reports said.
Congress, the principal opposition party, is one of the 21 parties.
After the exit polls came out on Sunday, opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, HD Kumaraswamy raised questions over the EVMs.
Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo, was the first to reject the exit polls and had tweeted, "I don’t trust Exit Poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together"
I don’t trust Exit Poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 19, 2019
In a similar tune, Karnataka Chief Minister Kumaraswamy had tweeted, "Entire Opposition political parties had expressed concern over credibility of EVMs under PM @narendramodi's rule. Opposition parties even knocked the doors of the Supre Court asking for a traditional ballet paper elections to avoid defective EVMs that are vulnerable to fraud."
Entire Opposition political parties had expressed concern over credibility of EVMs under PM @narendramodi's rule.
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) May 20, 2019
Opposition parties even knocked the doors of the Supre Court asking for a traditional ballet paper elections to avoid defective EVMs that are vulnerable to fraud.
Several exit polls have predicted the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to return to power for the second consecutive term with a tally of seats ranging from 277 to 365.
Opposition parties including a host of regional parties are predicted to produce a poor show after the prolonged election season.
After meeting opposititon leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, Naidu on Monday met Banerjee at the latter's Kalighat residence in Kolkata to discuss post-poll scenarios.
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