Mamata vouches for reintroducing manual voting system

Jangipara, Hooghly, May 30 (UNI) Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today demanded reintroduction of manual voting system and eradication of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in West Bengal.

''I beleive the EVMs are susceptible to manipulation,'' Ms Banerjee told a party workers' meeting here, her first open meeting after Panchayat Elections recently, in which her party won in two districts East Midnapur and South 24-Parganas.

She demanded the reintroduction of the manual voting system, like ballot papers and ballot boxes, which were dependable than EVMs, if free and fair polling ensured by the Election Commission.

Polls in 13 civic bodies of Bengal would begin before parliament election by year-end or early next year.

Ms Banerjee said her party would write to EC for reintroduction of ballot paper system for any constituent body election in the state.

She also demanded repolling to those panchayat areas where ruling CPI(M) party candidates were declared winner uncontested.

''How do we call them winners where contest not at all held,'' she said, adding her party workers were not allowed to fill up forms by the alleged CPI(M) goons. Arambag, Goghat, Jangipara, Pursurua were some examples where her partyworkers were prevented from contesting the Panchayat elections.

She alleged that her partymen were being harassed in Hoogly district and warned if the alleged tormentors were not arrested by next 72 hours, she would be forced to gherao SP office.

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