SHILLONG, DEC 15: Opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) today demanded the Election Commission of India to consider using secret ballot paper instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs) while conducting the ensuing Assembly elections in Meghalaya.
This is one of the three resolutions adopted by the party during its general council meeting held in the city here on Friday. The meeting was attended by senior leaders, party candidates and workers from the different parts of the state.
“We have unanimously decided to demand the ECI to exempt the use of EVMs in the upcoming 2018 elections in Meghalaya,” UDP senior working president Bindo M Lanong told reporters after the meeting here.
Stating that it is high time that elections to small states in the North East region should be conducted by reverting back to the use of secret ballot paper, Lanong said this is because the EVMs or VVPAT are man-made machines which can be easily “tampered and hacked”.
“This was also alleged by many states in the country that these machines have been tampered thereby it will not reflect the true manadate of the people,” he said while informing that the party will soon write to the ECI and inform the state election department.
Earlier, the Election Commission had announced the use of the Voter Verifiable Audit Paper Trail (VVPAT) along with the EVMs in the forthcoming elections in the state to be held early next year.
However, the UDP leader alleged that the EVMs to be used in the upcoming elections are the ones belonging to other states including Assam, which is a BJP-ruled state.
“We do not have faith in ECI as most of these machines are being brought from other states including the BJP-ruled state of Assam,” he said while expressing apprehension that there is every likelihood that the EVMs will be tampered in the forthcoming elections.
Referring to the statement made by BJP recently, Lanong said, “They (BJP leaders) had declared that there will be a surprise in Meghalaya which we fear that they will tamper the EVMs because their claim is fishy and has something behind it.”
Asked what kind of action will be the party takes with the ECI determined to use EVMs for the conduct of elections, the former deputy chief minister however said the question of boycotting the election will not arise but the party will surely put its protest forward.
“We will register our protest before the Commission in view that we want a free and transparent conduct of election that will reflect the mind and mandate of the electorate and that will not create resent in the minds of the people which is there as of today,” he added.
Like the UDP, Lanong said that even the ruling Congress had also questioned the credibility of the electronic voting machines while referring to the Tura Lok Sabha seat bye-election held last year.
According to him, even the chief minister Mukul Sangma had suspected that the EVMs have been tampered when the Tura MP Conrad K Sangma won the bye-elections from 23 assembly segments against Congress nominee Dikkanchi D Shira, wife of Mukul.
Meanwhile, the UDP has also resolved to reject the claim of the Government of India that coal belongs to the government.
“We reject this claim by the Centre because land in Meghalaya belongs to the people,” he said while stating that except gold, silver, natural gas, and uranium, the government of India has no ownership over coal and limestone.
Today’s general council meeting also decided to organize a public rally on January 11, next year where the party would also released its manifesto for the upcoming 2018 elections.
By Our Reporter
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