KEJRIWAL ASKS LG TO ENSURE PAPER BALLOT FOR CIVIC POLLS
The Delhi government has urged Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to get the civic polls conducted through paper ballot instead of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMS), Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday.
Talking to reporters here, Kejriwal said the request for conducting the polls through paper ballot had been sent to Baijal’s office as he had the power to amend the rules.
“Some rules need to be changed if the polls are to be conducted through paper ballot instead of EVMS. And the power to change the rules lies with the LG,” Kejriwal said. He added that the Delhi State Election Commission had informed the LG that it was too late to change the mode of voting at this stage.
The Chief Minister also said he would urge the LG to hold a meeting with him and other political parties as well as poll panel to see if there was a possibility of conducting the election through paper ballot.
The Chief Minister, on Tuesday, had asked the State Election Commission to conduct the upcoming civic polls through ballot paper instead of Electronic Voting Machines. Kejriwal, who is also the national convenor of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), had directed Delhi Chief Secretary M M Kutty to ask the State Election Commission to conduct municipal polls using paper ballot, AAP sources said.
“The Chief Minister has directed the Chief Secretary to ask the state election office to hold MCD elections through ballot papers,” a source in the Chief Minister’s office had said.
The AAP convenor’s demand followed allegations that EVMS were tampered with in the just-concluded assembly polls. Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken had also approached the Election Commission with the same demand.
Election to the three Municipal Corporations – South, North and East Delhi – would be held on April 22. The results would be declared on April 25.