LUCKNOW: In the wake of allegations over the integrity of EVMs from all major political parties barring the BJP, the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) is contemplating to hold State urban local body poll due in June through ballot papers, due to the paucity of new machines.
The notification for UP civic elections is likely to come by the end of May and preparations, including the revision of voter list, are already on in the State.
State election commissioner SC Agrawal is believed to have written a letter the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India urging the latter to provide EVMs to the State for the upcoming civic polls. In previous 2012 civic polls, EVMs were used for mayoral and municipal corporations’ wards elections while the remaining two tiers Nagar Panchayats and Nagar Panchayat Parishad polls were held through ballot papers.
This time around, the CEC is believed to have asked the UP SEC to try and hold the civic poll by the ballot papers expressing its inability to provide as many EVMS. According to sources, the CEC said that the EVMs being presently were old, outdated and most of the machines were of the pre-2006 period.
Consequently, the SEC decided to hold the upcoming polls through ballot papers.
“We are ready to hold the civic elections through ballot papers. Though ECI has already conveyed this to us but we will wait for the formal reply. We are expecting the reply in a day or two,” said SEC SC Agarwal. “If the ECI fails to provide the new EVS, the civic polls in the State will be held only through the ballot papers for all the three tiers nagar nigam, panchayats, nagar palika parishad instead of going with the outdated EVMS,” Agarwal said.
In fact, as per the sources, there were some complaints over the functioning of EVMS which the ECI had sent to Maharashtra for recently concluded civic body polls.
Agarwal, however, ruled out any delay in case the SEC had to go for the ballot papers for all civic elections.