Vijayawada: TD Supremo and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that his fight here on EVMs is an ideological fight.
“We need to use technology intelligently. But also, should not fall prey for it. I have always insisted on paper ballot and they reached at VVPAT. We have in the past suggested that a voter should be able to collect the VVPAT print and check his vote and deposit it in the box. Even Qureshi and the panel members raised similar concerns and agreed on this. This would have reduced the chances of discrepancies. Everyone has opined in favour of this, by saying that this would become a model for everyone across the world,” Mr Naidu told reporters here on Monday.
He said that he had suggested this in 2013 first. VVPAT is the right of a voter to know and ensure for whom he has voted. “This is the proof for accountability. This is what the SC has opined. Similar readings were made elsewhere in the US. It is a case for credibility and accountability. I am fighting for this since the last 10 years,” he added.
“SC has given directives to count five VVPATs per constituency. The EC has complicated the counting process and made an excuse to escape the counting. The SC didn’t object counting 50 pc VVPATs. All it suggested was to count five VVPATs. But what if there is a discrepancy? There are concerns over possible hacking of the printers. A voter being able to check the print and deposit in the box, would solve this. That would build trust in the voter. The EC has lost its credibility today,” he said.
