Evm: Dangers Of Trusting Them Too Much

[Guest]

<b>Naidu blames EVMs</b>

Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, is now suspecting faulty Electronic Voting Machines for his party’s defeat in the recent elections. He prefers the age-old ballot paper be continued.

Mr Naidu promised to infuse new blood into the party and reward hardworking party leaders and workers.

The TD chief scrapped the party’s state and district committees and announced the constitution of ad hoc committees till new bodies were elected. He asked party leaders from the districts to review the poll debacle and give him reasons for the same.

Mr Naidu gave enough hints that the EVMs were not above suspicion in addition to the split in the anti-government votes by Praja Rajyam besides other reasons.

“We received complaints from several places about malfunctioning of EVMs. Mr K.E. Krishnamurthy called up from Dhone and said that faulty EVM stopped polling for three hours. Many voters had to return dejected,” he alleged.

Mr Naidu cited an AIADMK complaint to the Election Commission alleging rigging in the recent elections due to EVMs and demanded reversion to the ballot paper. Ms Jayalalithaa has been arguing against the EVMs and referred to some developed countries reverting to ballot paper after they found out that EVMs were being manipulated.

“The AIADMK chief had also lodged a complaint against EVMs. There is demand for reverting to ballot paper,” he said. Several party leaders also blamed the Mahakutami for the defeat of the Telugu Desam evoking sharp reaction from the CPI leader, Mr Narayana. The TD chief made it clear to party cadre not to indulge in superficial reviews but concentrate on the causes for the defeat of the candidate in each constituency.