New Delhi: As the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal said on Thursday that any polling booth found with tampered electronic voting machine (EVM) buttons would face repolling, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the decision. However, Opposition INDIA bloc stressed that such action must be implemented wherever irregularities are found and raised concerns about accountability.
Speaking to IANS, BJP national spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam said, “This is the Election Commission’s responsibility. The Commission decides where repolling should take place based on facts, figures, and the information received. It would not be appropriate for any political party to comment on this. Repolling should be conducted wherever the Election Commission deems it necessary.”
BJP national spokesperson, Prem Shukla, also supported the move, saying, “This decision should certainly be welcomed, as it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to conduct free and fair elections in the state. Wherever there has been any attempt to influence the electoral process, repolling at such places is in the interest of democracy.”
Congress leader and Rajasthan Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully said, “Repolling should take place if there has been any tampering with EVMs. But the question remains — who is responsible? Who is orchestrating this, and through which officials or employees? What kind of environment is being created? Strict action must be taken against those responsible for such lapses.”
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha expressed broader concerns, saying, “I want to address this directly. The proportions and percentages being discussed often differ from the ground reality. It is similar to budget discussions where allocations are highlighted without examining their actual impact. My concern is more serious. Lakhs of people are still worried about the clarity of their names in tribunals. This must be addressed. Who will take responsibility for those who missed their vote? It is not just the Election Commission, but also those managing the system who must be held accountable.”
Meanwhile, the statement came after the BJP raised concerns during the second phase of Assembly elections, claiming that voters were unable to select its candidate in some booths.
The West Bengal CEO said, “If reports of taping of any button come in, that should be verified and noted. If true, those booths will go for a repoll.”
The issue was flagged by BJP Co-Incharge for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, who alleged that the BJP’s poll button on EVMs was blocked using tape in several polling booths in Falta. He demanded repolling in the affected areas and described the situation as a pattern.
(IANS)
