BSP chief Mayawati Friday alleged widespread vote rigging by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and collusion by the police and official machinery to ensure that votes meant for her party went to the saffron party.
Mayawati in a statement urged the Election Commission to take serious note of this, and initiate steps to check its recurrence in the remaining six phases of the general elections.
The BSP Chief said that if the poll panel does not initiate any strict step, the ongoing election process "would be of no use", and hoped that something concrete will be done in this regard.
"I was told that in the first phase yesterday, police and official machinery was misused besides malfunctioning in EVMs as a result of which the votes being cast in favor of elephant were going in the account of lotus (BJP's poll symbol)," the BSP chief said in a statement.
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She said the matter was brought to EC's notice on Thursday itself, and the poll panel "needs to find a solution to people's satisfaction" to ensure that there is no complaint in this regard in the remaining phases of polling.
Mayawati openly slammed the EVM malpractice on her twitter handle.
"With voters rejecting the ruling BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, they have now decided to gain victory not by vote but by notes, EVM rigging, abuse of police/administration, and by getting the election staff to register vote for them," she tweeted on Friday.
Incidents of EVM malfunctioning have also been reported in the media, Mayawati said, while also alleging that in some places Dalits were stopped from reaching polling booths by use of batons against them, and by firing in the air.
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She also appealed to the BSP workers, agents and supporters to remain vigilant while casting their votes, and check the voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machine and complain to the election observer in case of any irregularity.
The seven-phase Lok Sabha polls began Thursday, with an estimated 9 crore people coming out to vote for electing 91 parliamentarians in the first phase of over-a-month-long polling exercise.
(With inputs from agencies)
