EC rejects demand to use ballot paper in civic polls

The Delhi State Election Commission (SEC) on Tuesday rejected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's demand to hold coming elections to the three municipal corporations in Delhi using ballot papers instead of EVMs.

Kejriwal had asked the commission to conduct the April 22 polls through the old system of ballot papers after allegations by certain political leaders that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were tampered with in the just-concluded assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken had also approached the commission with the same demand. Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Manoj Tiwari said if Kejriwal and Maken do not trust the EVMs, then "Kejriwal should go for re-poll for Delhi assembly (where the AAP won 67 of the 70 seats) and Maken should ask the Congress leadership to call for re-election in Punjab through ballot papers".

Tiwari said Maken's and Kejriwal's demand for ballot papers "demonstrates their utter frustration and apprehension that they will lose the civic elections".

Announcing the dates for elections to the three municipal corporations -north, south and east Delhi, State Election Commissioner S.K. Srivastava said polling in all 272 wards will be through EVMs.

He said if polls are to be held through ballot ppapers, certain rules will have to be amended.