MUMBAI: Leaders of several major opposition parties on Tuesday once again alleged “manipulation” of EVMs and demanded checking of at least 50 per cent of the VVPAT slips at every polling booth.
“EVMs are vulnerable to programming errors. They can be manipulated, hacked and can even malfunction,” Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu said while addressing a Press conference along with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and leaders from the Congress, TMC, AAP, CPM, CPI and DMK.
Raising doubt over the credibility of the EVMs, Naidu said only 18 countries were using it.
Seeking to dispel worries about the time taken in case all the VVPAT trails were to be counted, he said, “It will take a maximum of two days for counting to be over… Between time taken and credibility, it is credibility which should prevail.”
Pawar said the economy, business and agriculture are in a bad shape under PM Narendra Modi and the people are in a mood to change.
“Our only worry is someone misusing this technology to manipulate elections...Our worry is manipulation through these machines.”
AAP leader Sanjay Singh accused the Election Commission was “acting like Dhritarashtra”. “You press any button and the vote goes to the BJP,” he alleged.