Nagaland Congress demands paper ballots in Assembly poll

KOHIMA: The Opposition Congress in Nagaland on Wednesday demanded ballot paper voting system in the Assembly polls, slated for early next year, replacing the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), as, according to it, these had been proven several times to be tampered.

Nagaland Congress President K Therie said that the EVMs can be "reset".

"EVMs have been in use in India for almost two decades even as many of the advanced countries have abandoned EVMs because it lacks transparency," he told the media. Therie said that after the BJP came to power, in between 2014 and 2018, 19 lakh EVMs were found missing after being supplied by the two Government-owned EVM manufacturing companies - Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd.

Saying that the EVM issue would also be raised on other platforms including with the Election Commission, the Congress leader requested all political parties to support the demand for transparency in the voting and counting process.

Therie also suggested one day polling with counting of votes on the same day. A State unit delegation recently met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and raised the EVM issue, and Therie said that he has assured to take up the issue with the appropriate authorities. (IANS)

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