Hassan: While the Election Commission of India (ECI) is confident Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) cannot be tampered with, Janata Dal (Secular) supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda believes they cannot be entirely relied on and ballot papers are the best for elections.
Chatting to reporters hereon Saturday, Mr Deve Gowda said that EVMs had been barred in elections in most countries, which had switched back to ballot papers. “But I don’t know why the ECI is insisting on EVMs,” he regretted.
“There have been numerous complaints about EVMs being tampered with in elections across the country too, but the ECI is adamant on their use in the polls. This is not good,” the former Prime Minister said.
While claiming he was afraid to say more on the issue as it could attract criminal action from the ECI, he demanded, “How is it right to silence those who have suspicions about the use EVMs in elections?” Mr Gowda also said he intended to spend more time in Hassan after the Assembly polls.
The Janata Dal (Secular) leader, who planned to visit the family of CRPF personnel, Chandra, killed in a landmine blast in Chandigarh, in Haradoor village of Arkalgudu taluk, promised the JD(S) would give any financial support it needed.
