Imphal, Aug 07 UNA: Universal use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in elections by completely phasing out paper ballot system, as have been used in the elections during the tenth Manipur Legislative Assembly held on last January 28, is illegal as universal use of EVMs in all the polling stations of all the sixty Assembly Constituency is violative of Section 61A of the Representative of the people Act, 1951 said Dr. M Nara.
We don’t want EVMs any more in Manipur, public has been forced to trust software and hardware without proper means of verification. They (Public) have been misguided by using EVMs in the election.
Dr. M Nara, secretary CPI was speaking to the media person after the meeting of seven non-congress political parties of the state regarding the using of EVMs in the elections, where they filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Guwahati High Court last month.
The seven political parties includes CPI, AITC, JD-U, BJP, MPP, CPM and NCP held a meeting at Imphal Hotel regarding banning of using EVMs in the state election.
Malpractice on EVMs use is suspected by all non-congress parties as well by the public of the state, even the public of Naoria Pakhanglakpa assembly constituency filed a complain against using of EVMs said Nara.
For the first time in India manipulation of EVMs came to know by the public in the year 2007. But in the last tenth assembly election EVMs were used where congress win in such a huge margin that they (Congress) don’t believe it.
The tenth election was unconstitutional, election should be trusted by the public, every voter should be in a position to know all essential steps in the elections including his/her vote which they exercised as a part of freedom of expression has really and accurately gone in favour of the intended candidate whom the voter has chosen, added CPI secretary.
In any future election held in the state or the nation EVMs should be banned so that malpractices can be stopped said Dr. M Nara.
The double bench of Gawahati High Court has summoned the ECI and CEO for the next hearing on 14 September, as well to one individual Heriken Metha as a Profoma respondent.
This kind of PIL is of its first kind in the country said Advocate of the petitioners M Mohindro.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/seven-political-parties-file-pil-against-evms/
