National

Bad Losers Or Whistleblowers?

BSP and AAP have accused BJP of rigging the EVMs. Do these accusations square up?

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Bad Losers Or Whistleblowers?
info_icon

Mayawati, BSP

  • On March 11, the day of the results, the BSP told the Election Commission in a complaint that its whistleblowers had information about BJP-hired software experts manipulating EVMs.
  • That EVMs were set in such a way that a certain share of votes automatically got transferred to the BJP.
  • Manipulation is absolutely clear, said BSP’s Devashish Jarariya, since prima facie 30-40% Muslim votes appear to have gone to BJP.
  • The BSP hasn’t come up with evidence to back its charge, saying it was working on it

Arvind Kejriwal, AAP

  • All forecasts showed a tight race between AAP and Congress.
  • Anti-incumbency against Akali-BJP govt was clear, yet it got 30% vote. This doesn’t add up, he says.
  • In Sujanpur Akhwa booth, AAP got 3 votes when its 7 local volunteers had 17 family votes. In booth 103, AAP got 2 votes against 27 family votes of 5 volunteers.
  • Kejriwal wants EVM votes matched against paper records available for 32 Punjab seats

Maharashtra

  • In Mumbai municipal polls last month, independent candidate Shrikant Shirsat claimed he got zero votes at his home booth in Saki Naka.

Election Commission’s response

  • In a written response, the EC has said it found “no merit” in the BSP’s arguments and its complaint was not “legally tenable”
  • The poll regulator says it is “fully satisfied” with the “tamper-proof functioning” of EVMs
  • No political party has been able to “demonstrate” before the Commission that EVMs could be tweaked
  • No complaint was made during the election process
info_icon