Cannot Rely on EVMs, Ballot Papers Should be Used in Future: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said electronic voting machines cannot be relied upon and demanded that all future elections are conducted through ballot papers.

"When will EVMs develop a snag no one can tell ... When will the software fail ... Machines cannot be relied upon. We do not have faith in EVMs," Akhilesh told news persons here.

"We have 100 per cent faith in our ballot papers and it is our demand that future elections are held using them ... We do not want to go into whether EVMs are good or bad," the former UP chief minister said.

Akhilesh said people feel that they have been misled (by the BJP) for forming the government.

"The entire election was fought by spreading hatred in the name of caste and religion ... The votes were taken by promising benefits in the name of caste and religion," he said.

The SP chief also launched a two-month membership drive of his party aimed at reaching out to "maximum" people from all sections of the society.

"Through this membership drive we will tell people about works done and programmes started by the SP government," he said, adding that besides traditional means, members will be enrolled through missed calls and social media.

On the Yogi Adityanath government's announcement to provide power for 24 hours in district headquarters, 20 hours in Bundelkhand and 18 hours in villages, Akhilesh said as of now power is being given through power sub-stations, transformers and distribution lines installed by the SP government "which had done a lot of work in the power sector".

The SP chief said time has not come for his party to oppose the BJP government.

"We will oppose only when the BJP government will have its budget and will run its schemes," he said.

Asked about the law and order situation in the state, he cited media reports about a man being set on fire in a car in Gorakhpur.

"Had such an incident taken place during the SP government, the media would have made it a big issue ... Which crime is not taking place ... police are being beaten up," he said, adding that many people are being harassed in the name of anti-Romeo campaign.