Alleging that electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections were tampered with, the Congress on Friday demanded that election to the prestigious students’ body be held again using paper ballot.
The party also made it clear that it has not ruled out the option of approaching the court and getting the matter legally examined.
Addressing a joint press conference with National Students’ Union of India incharge Ruchi Gupta, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said: “How is that every time the EVM malfunctioned, it only helped the candidate belonging to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad [ABVP]? Why is it that it never helped the Congress or the NSUI?”
Mr. Maken said NSUI candidates were leading “comfortably” till the sixth round, when the EVMs started malfunctioning.
Thereafter, the results reversed for NSUI candidates, he alleged.
“If EVMs cannot ensure a free and fair election to a students’ body under DU, how can political parties trust EVMs for the Assembly polls and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls,” asked the senior Congress leader.
“...The EVMs were supplied by the Electronic Corporation of India Limited and they were cleared by the Election Commission,” said Mr. Maken, adding: “Our main demand is that now the entire election should be held again using paper ballot.”
‘Division of votes’
Ms. Gupta, joint secretary in the Congress, said the election authorities had at one point even suggested dividing equally the votes between the ABVP and the NSUI. “We have been asking for a division of results EVM-wise but to no avail,” she added.