EC works on Modi’s instructions: Naidu

| | New Delhi
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EC works on Modi’s instructions: Naidu

Sunday, 14 April 2019 | PNS | New Delhi

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday claimed that the Election Commission has lost its all credibility among the people of the nation as it functions on the instructions of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his office.

Two days after Andhra Pradesh voted to elect its new Assembly,  Naidu on Saturday met the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora with a letter complaining that the poll body “miserably failed to live up to the spirit of the constitutional duty” in the State.

Naidu claimed that 30 per cent to 40 per cent of electronic voting machines did not work during polling for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh on April 11. “The Government of India is interfering through the Election Commission. We have complained against EVMs earlier also. Election Commission is an autonomous body but they are working at the instructions of Modi,” Naidu said. He was speaking after his meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.

The Andhra Pradesh CM demanded that the Election Commission should revert to the system of recording votes through ballot papers and stop the use of electronic voting machines in polls. He said there are doubts regarding reliability of the EVMs.

“We demand the Election Commission of India for reverting to paper ballot system immediately to preserve the sanctity and protect the spirit of electoral process and democracy respectively,” Naidu said. 

Raising questions on the poll panel’s independence and impartiality, Naidu  said that the level playing field — an essential attribute of democracy — “now stands disturbed”. ‘The Government of India is interfering through EC. We have complained against EVMs earlier also. EC is an autonomous body but they are working at the instructions of Modi. Transfers of officers in AP is unjustified,” he said.

Naidu said officials in Andhra were being transferred in an arbitrary manner and the Chief Secretary has been replaced by a person, who was accused along with YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy in a case.

He alleged that the poll panel observer in the State was having links with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Recalling that all the Opposition parties had demanded for 50 per cent matching of EVMs with VVPATs, Naidu said that increasing that number from one to five by the Supreme Court was “insufficient”.

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