Janata Dal (U) leader Sharad Yadav said “he had received complaints on EVMs’ malfunctioning from PMK leader S Ramadoss and TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu”, and that “the poll panel should convene a meeting of various political parties to allay their apprehensions”.

The CPM too wanted the issue to be considered “very seriously”. “Many questions have already been raised related to EVMs... These are serious issues and if we want to strengthen our democracy then we should consider the matter very seriously,” said CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, adding that “many countries using EVMs had reverted to ballot papers, Germany being the latest example”. Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, however, dismissed such claims.

JD (S) president H D Deve Gowda had a different take and said “EVMs should be abandoned because booth-wise details of voting are easily known in the present system.”

The BSP was “surprised” by “these apprehensions being voiced by a losing party at this juncture”. “It’s being said that the West is getting back to the ballot papers, but they are rarely faced with the problem of invalid votes, something so rampant in a country like ours. The problem of invalid votes is addressed in the system of EVMs. The concerns about EVMs are being raised by a losing party, so I’m hardly surprised,” said BSP treasurer and Rajya Sabha MP Ambeth Rajan.

While the LJP and RJD too voiced apprehensions over the working of EVMs, RSP leader Abani Roy advocated the middle path. “Possibilities of technical glitches in the EVMs must be addressed, but we must persist with the present system,” said Roy.

... contd.