Dare BJP to discard EVMs, use ballot papers in 2019 Lok Sabha polls: Mayawati

LUCKNOW: While the Bharatiya Janata Party is celebrating its massive success in the Uttar Pradesh civic polls, opposition parties have yet again alleged tampering of EVMs used in the elections.

Calling for ballot papers to be brought back, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Saturday said that if EVMs are not used, BJP cannot come to power. "General Elections are due in 2019. If BJP believes people are with them, they must implement it. I can guarantee if ballot papers are used, BJP won't come to power," she said.

"If BJP is honest and believes in democracy then discard EVMs and conduct voting on Ballot papers," she added.

In the civic polls that concluded on Friday, the BJP won 14 of the 16 mayoral seats. Mayawati-led BSP came second by winning the mayoral posts in western UP's Aligarh and Meerut towns. 

However, Akhilesh Yadav-led SP failed to win a single mayoral seat. Congress even lost in its pocket borough Amethi.

The Samajwadi Party also attributed its humiliating defeat in the civic body polls to the "faulty EVMs used at some places". Party MLC Rajpal Kashyap said, ''It was disheartening to note that the BJP gained on places where EVMs were used.''

Polling in UP was held for 16 nagar nigams, 198 nagar palika parishads and 438 nagar panchayats with an average turnout of all the three phases estimated at 52.5 per cent of the 3.32 crore voters. 

The elections were held in three phases on November 22, 26 and 29. The couning was held  was held under tight security cover and CCTV surveillance at 334 centres in district and tehsil headquarters.