TMC leader Saugata Roy on Monday demanded avoiding of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and bring back the ballot system to ensure “transparency” in election process. BSP leader Danish Ali also questioned the reliability of EVMs. Both MPs were speaking on the Motion of Thanks to President’s address in Lok Sabha.

“EVMs should be jettisoned. I am opposed to EVMs. Ballot papers should be brought back,” Roy said in the Lok Sabha. He questioned how BJP leadership “knew” in advance the number of seats they were going to win in the Lok Sabha elections.

Roy said BJP president, a day before the election results were announced, declared that his party will win 300 seats. The party won 303 seats. “How is it possible?” His speech was interrupted by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey who objected to Roy raising the issue of EVMs in the House saying that Election Commission cannot be questioned. On point of order raised by Dubey, the Chair said that whatever is objectionable would be removed from records.

Danish Ali (BSP) said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have convened an all-party meeting on the issue of EVMs and not simultaneous polls. He claimed that the EVMs have helped the BJP return to power. Several BJP members hit back, saying that he, along with several other opposition members have also won the polls. He also alleged that the electoral bonds were used to help parties like BJP get funds from corporate houses.

Ali said corporate houses do not fund parties like the BSP, hence the electoral bond scheme was aimed at helping parties like the BJP.

Saugata Roy also charged that BJP is dividing the nation and has created mayhem in West Bengal. “They are dividing the country. We shall resist NRC tooth and nail,” he said, regretting that former pracharak of RSS outfit, which was banned in 1948 for murder of Gandhi, has become the Prime Minister. “We will resist with all our might to save secularism”.

Earlier in the morning, TMC MPs are holding a sit-in in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on the Parliament’s premises , demanding election be held by ballot paper instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

The party, which has been crying foul over the use of EVMs in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls, on Monday said their agenda for the protest was — “No to EVMs, Yes to paper ballots.”