EVMs are victory machines for Congress: BJP

Electronic Voting Machines have become 'Electronic Victory Machines' for the Congress in the elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged on Thursday, as it trailed in the Maharashtra and Haryana polls.

"The EVMs have become 'Electronic Victory Machines' for the Congress in the elections," rued BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

Naqvi said these elections were conducted with EVMs despite many political parties expressing their concerns that the EVMs might be tampered with or may malfunction.

The senior BJP leader maintained that not only his party but other political parties had also raised doubts about the credibility of EVMs.

"How can five votes be cast in one minute," he asked.

When asked if EVMs were manipulated in the past in states like Chhattisgarh and Gujarat, where the BJP had won, Naqvi said, "Don't look at the results but at the credibility of EVMs."

However, he soon retracted his statement, reportedly after being pressurised by the party bosses.

"I would request you not to look at these assembly elections from the point of view of EVMs alone. Once all the results are announced, we will analyse the reasons for the party's performance," Naqvi said.

When asked if he was backtracking on the issue under pressure, Naqvi said, "We will take up the issue of EVMs with the Election Commission. The technical question is still there."