AMN / KOLKATA
TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday hit out at the Election Commission for the “delay” in releasing the final voter turnout figures for the initial two phases of the Lok Sabha polls. The TMC chief also said that she will ask the parties in the opposition bloc to keep an eye on the EVM machines.
Speaking at a rally in Murshidabad’s Farakka, Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of changing the EVM machines. She alleged that EVM machines are changed at night and the machines that vote for the BJP are inserted.
“I have a doubt, I will ask the Election Commission how the polling percentage can increase. We are writing a letter to the Election Commission. I will ask all the opposition parties to meet the Election Commission and keep an eye on the EVM and its chip. At night, these people go and break the lock and change the machine, they are inserting the machine that voted for the BJP,” Banerjee said.
Expressing concern over the sudden increase in polling percentages during phase 1 and phase 2, the West Bengal CM, “The sudden jump in final voter turnout by nearly 5.75 per cent from what the Election Commission had released earlier is worrying. There are apprehensions of manipulation of results by the BJP as several EVMs were missing for a long period,” she reportedly told the crowd.
According to the EC, a voter turnout of 66.14 per cent was recorded in the first and 66.71 per cent in the second phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. The apex poll body made public the voter turnout of the first two phases of polling, which were held on April 19 and April 26, on Tuesday evening. According to the EC, a voter turnout of 66.14 per cent was recorded in the first and 66.71 per cent in the second phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.
The TMC supremo stated that the sudden increase in poll percentage is not just “disturbing” but also raises “serious apprehensions about the credibility of EVMs”. “The details of EVM makers should be made public by the Election Commission as the BJP can stoop to any level to win elections,” she said.
I have a doubt, I will ask the Election Commission how can the polling percentage increase? We are giving a letter to the Election Commission, I will tell everyone to meet the Election Commission… keep an eye on the EVM and its chip… at night these people are going and breaking the lock and changing the machine, they are inserting the machine which voted for BJP.