SEC to use ballot papers in civic polls

LUCKNOW: Amid raging controversy over the functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs), the State Election Commission (SEC) is planning to use ballot papers in the elections to all the 654 urban local bodies in Uttar Pradesh.

In 2012, the SEC had used EVMs in election to the posts of mayors and corporators in 14 municipal corporations. The SEC had used ballot papers in elections to nagar palika parishad (202) and nagar panchayats (438).

The SEC proposes to hold the elections to urban local bodies in June-July 2017.

“We may use ballot paper in urban local bodies’ election this time if the EC fails to provide us new EVMs with latest technology. We have approached the ECI to give us new machines using the latest technology. I have spoken to chief election commissioner Naseem Zaidi on the issue. We are waiting for a reply from the ECI. We will use ballot papers if the SEC does not get new EVMs,” state election commissioner SK Agarwal told HT over phone.

Though Agarwal maintained that the move had nothing to do with the political parties’ allegation that the EVMs had been tampered during the recent assembly elections, it may bring the issue into focus again.

The BSP has already launched an agitation demanding the use of ballot papers in all the elections. The SP and the Congress have also questioned the functioning of the EVMs.

“We are not against the use of EVMs for election to urban local bodies. On our request, the ECI had even allotted the EVMs to the SEC about 7-8 months ago. The machines had to be brought to the state from Madhya Pradesh. The SEC was later informed that the machines allotted to the state have been sent to Maharashtra. The EVMs that the ECI may give us have outlived their utility,” Agarwal said. UP BJP general secretary Vijay Pathak said there was no controversy over the EVMs. It was for the SEC to decide how it wanted to hold the elections to urban local bodies and the BJP was ready to contest the poll, he said.