Samajwadi Party calls for ballot paper elections, cites EVM theft risk

Samajwadi Party MP Ramgopal Yadav and chief Akhilesh Yadav have demanded a return to ballot paper elections, citing technological risks of data theft from EVMs. They noted that even developed countries use ballot papers for elections.

SP Leaders Demand Return to Ballot Papers

Samajwadi Party MP Ramgopal Yadav on Sunday called for changes in election procedure, stressing that the entire opposition is raisingdemand for organising them through ballot paper. Speaking to ANI, Yadav noted that in such advanced technology if theft can take place from bank accounts of people, and electoral data from Electronic Voting Machine can also be stolen.

"Not only Samajwadi Party, but the entire opposition is demanding that elections should be conducted on ballot papers. The technology has grown so advanced that theft can happen in a bank account, with your data, then EVMs can also be stolen. BJP will be voted out of power in 2027 from Uttar Pradesh and in 2029 from Delhi (General Elections)," said Ramgopal Yadav.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday also demanded to hold elections from ballot paper, stressing that in developed countries, elections take place through ballot paper; however, in India the election take place through Electronic Voting Machine. "In developed nations, elections are conducted using ballot papers. Here in our country, however, they are held using EVMs. It is our demand that elections be conducted using ballot papers. Only then will the poor be able to truly express their pent-up anger," said Yadav.

Rahul Gandhi's 'Vote Chori' Allegations

The developments follow, LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's "vote chori" allegations on the government and Election Commission of India, alleging nexus between the political party and electoral body.

Last year, Rahul Gandhi alleged "large-scale voter fraud" in the 2024 Haryana assembly elections. He referred to the list of voters issued by the Election Commission ahead of the Haryana assembly polls and alleged that there were nearly 25 lakh fake votes in the state. He stated that a corrupt voter list undermines democracy. "Now, we have proof that the voter list in India is a lie. "If the voter list is a lie, there is no democracy," Gandhi said during his 'H Files' press conference. (ANI)

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