BJP says no to EVMs from Malkangiri

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP has petitioned the Election Commission against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), procured from Malkangiri district, in Umerkote by-election in Nabarangpur district.In a memorandum to the Election Commission, the BJP alleged that the election officer of Nabarangpur district has violated the election handbook for the contestants by not inviting them for the first-level checking.The second objection of the party was that the district election officer has not intimated the name of the nodal officer appointed by him to the political parties in the fray. The district election officer of Nabarangpur allegedly informed the contestants about the first-level checking of the EVM machines a couple of hours before the inspection on Saturday. The official candidates were intimated orally, the memorandum said. The issue was taken up with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here by State executive member and former vice-president of the BJP Samir Mohanty on Saturday requesting him to defer the inspection of EVM machines to Sunday.Even though the district election officer of Nabarangpur called an all-party meeting on November 17, the scheduled checking and randomisation of EVM machines was not discussed, Mohanty said.However, the EVM machine inspection was shifted to Sunday following instruction from the Election Commission.Suspecting sabotage of EVM machines brought from Malkangiri district, BJP State president Jual Oram had petitioned the Election Commission on November 15 demanding random sampling of EVMs from different districts for use in Umerkote.Alleging manipulation of EVMs by the ruling BJD during the 2009 general election, Oram said his party strongly suspected that the Government would resort to similar practice in the Umerkote by-poll. Besides, the assertion by Revenue Minister SN Patro that his party will win by a margin of over 19,000 votes has further strengthened the suspicion of EVM manipulation by the ruling party, the BJP said.