Akhilesh again questions credibility of EVMs

Lucknow: Raising questions about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said today that when petrol can be stolen with the help of a chip, there also were possibilities of misuse of the machines used during polls.

“When petrol can be stolen with the help of a remote through a chip without having any internet connection then through EVMs too. Need to stop the wrong use of technology,” Yadav tweeted. He was referring to the state police yesterday raiding seven petrol pumps here which were allegedly using remote- controlled electronic chip in fuel dispensing machines to dupe unsuspecting consumers.

The Election Commission (EC) has rubbished any allegations of misuse of the EVMs.

Akhilesh, whose party was drubbed by the BJP in the UP Assembly elections, had earlier also claimed that the EVMs cannot be relied upon and demanded that future elections be conducted through ballot papers. “When will EVMs develop a snag no one can tell … When will the software fail … machines cannot be relied upon. We do not have faith in EVMs,” Akhilesh had told news persons in Lucknow.

BSP supremo Mayawati had also alleged misuse of EVMs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections blaming it for her party’s poor showing.