EVMs could be tampered, says GJM; TMC junks claims

Amitava Banerjee | MP |11 May 2017 | Darjeeling: While hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party workers on Thursday blocked the road outside the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi protesting against alleged tampering of Electronic Voting Machines, miles away Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) President Bimal Gurung addressing a rally in Darjeeling alleged that the EVMs to be used in forthcoming Hill civic polls could have been tampered with. 

Gurung addressing a GJM election campaign rally stated "The TMC has started panicking as they will lose. The EVMs could be tampered with. Whichever button you press the vote would go to TMC. All of you have to remain alert," declared the GJM Chief. 

Gurung alleged that the TMC is using the state machinery including the administration and the police in their favour. "But be careful in your own backyard the Lotus has started blooming. In 2019 you all will be wiped out. Very soon your leaders will go to jail too," warned the BJP ally hinting at the CBI probe on the Narada scam. Gurung stated that it was pertinent for the party to raise the Gorkhaland issue in the civic polls too as the victory of the GJM would prove the mandate for Gorkhaland. 

Waving off the EVM tampering allegation, TMC leader and West Bengal Tourism Minister stated: "It seems Gurung has started to panic and is making baseless allegations. The TMC had earlier stated that we have no problems with either form of voting electronic or manual. We had even agreed to paper ballots." 

Deb further stated that the GJM-run Municipal boards in the past had utterly failed. "Otherwise they would have approached the public with the development activities the Municipalities had done in the past under the GJM. As they have nothing to show, they have resurrected the issue (Gorkhaland) and are trying to emotionally move the people. It is a diversion tactic which they adopt before every election," stated Deb.