EVM tampering claims without proof not appropriate, says Supriya Sule

MUMBAI: The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) appears to have broken ranks with the opposition on the issue of alleged EVM manipulation during the recently concluded assembly elections. The party’s working president Supriya Sule stated on Wednesday that she had won four elections in Baramati with the EVM and did not find it appropriate to make allegations about tampering without concrete proof. Sule also said that she was the one who asked Yugendra Pawar, the NCP (SP) Baramati candidate, to withdraw his application asking to verify the burnt memory in the microcontroller of the EVMs.

The MP’s statement is contradictory to the stand taken by the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT). The two parties have blamed EVM manipulation for their crushing defeat in the assembly elections.

“It is either a technological issue or the voter list has been changed, I don’t know which,” Sule told reporters on Wednesday. “But I believe it is inappropriate to make allegations until we have concrete proof.” The MP, however, added that lots of changes had been made in the voter lists, which was pointed out by her colleagues and even by Arvind Kejriwal, AAP chief and former Delhi chief minister during her recent meeting.

“Kejriwal was of the view that there is a disparity in the voter lists,” she said. “Major additions and deletions have been made in the lists between the Lok Sabha polls and the assembly elections, which is disturbing,” she said adding that she had received a letter from Biju Janata Dal leader Amar Patnaik, who had taken up the issue and pointed out discrepancies in the poll data in Orissa. “I have to look into it,” she said.

However, not only Sule’s allies but NCP (SP) leaders too said that they did not agree with her views. MLA Jitendra Awhad responded, “Everyone has their own opinion. She may think otherwise but in my opinion EVMs have been tampered with in order to win the Maharashtra elections.”

When questioned, Sule told HT, “My colleagues believe that EVMs have been tampered with, and I stand by them. But there could be several other reasons such as changes in the voter list. The poll numbers too are not matching, which is alarming.”

The MP’s remarks have put the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on the backfoot, with the Congress pointing out what she really meant. “The crux of her statement was that some manipulation is on, and the BJP is winning because of that but she does not have any proof,” said Atul Londhe, the Congress’ chief spokesperson. “She mentioned that manipulation is happening in elections by referring to BJD leader Amar Patnaik’s letter.”

The Shiv Sena (UBT) was cautious about commenting on Sule’s remarks. “I guess it was her individual stand, but as part of the MVA she has the same opinion that we all have,” said MLC Sachin Ahir. “Her remarks should not be taken against the spirit in which they were made. NCP (SP) leaders too are pursuing the EVM issue.”

Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde taunted the opposition and Congress over Sule’s remarks and said that they should stop blaming EVMs only after losing the polls. “She was right,” Shinde told reporters in Delhi. “For the Lok Sabha elections and the state assembly elections held in Jharkhand, Karnataka and Telangana, where they won, EVMs were tamper-proof. They started blaming EVMs only when they were defeated.”

Even allies of the Congress have asked the party to stop blaming EVMs, and Shinde referred to the statements made by Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah and Trinamool Congress MLA Abhishek Banerjee’s. Both have dismissed the Congress’ allegations of EVM-tampering.