RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Former Congress MP Undavalli Arun Kumar has asked Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to speak out on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) functioning in the just concluded elections in Andhra Pradesh as there are many allegations related to the order given by the then Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena.
He alleged that Meena directed the District Election Officers (DEOs) to burn the memory microcontroller of EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) in a hasty manner. Undavalli pointed out that Section 81 of the People’s Representation Act, 1951 provides an opportunity to contestants to challenge the counting process within 45 days if they have any doubts.
The counting of votes in the general elections was held on June 4. Meena asked the DEOs to burn the microcontroller of EVMs and VVPATs within 10 days. Later, a circular was issued on June 26 in this regard. “It is highly objectionable and nothing but mockery of democracy,” Undavalli observed.
Addressing a media conference here on Wednesday, he said a Maharashtra-based organisation claimed that in the previous elections, the difference between the estimated voter turnout and the actual turnout on the day of polling was marginal. It stated that the figure was a staggering 12.54% in Andhra Pradesh and 12.48% in Odisha in the recent elections. “For the sake of democracy, Naidu, who challenged the functioning of EVMs before the Election Commission in 2019, should give clarity on the functioning of EVMs in the recent elections,” he said.
It is better if the Election Commission or any expert clears the doubts expressed by the organisation pertaining to the huge difference in the estimated and actual turnout, the former MP said.