The Maharashtra unit of the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) has alleged in a statement that electronic voting machine (EVMs) in the state's Bhandara-Gondia constituency have been tampered with to favour incumbent Member of Parliament and Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the AAP said that it would approach Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) V.Sampath to demand postponement of the polls in the area till the machines are re-tested and certified to be functional.
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The AAP has said that currently any button being pressed on any EVM is registering a vote only in favour of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nominee Praful Patel.
"This happened on the night of April 6. While verification of machines was supposed to be carried out on April 2, it was postponed, ostensibly because of 26 candidates in the fray," an AAP statement issued here on Tuesday said.
It is also being alleged that the collector and other district officers tried to stall the scrutiny of EVMs and even threatened punitive action against AAP volunteers when they insisted on more elaborate and transparent scrutiny.
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The AAP is claiming that about 20 machines are faulty and maintained that the entire credibility of the election process rests on EVMs.
"Lok Sabha election 2014 is riddled with instances of malpractice and violation of the Model Code of Conduct. AAP, true to its stand against corruption in all places, has filed complaints with the concerned election authorities asking for appropriate action," the AAP statement said.