EVM row: Chaiwala talks about Digital India; IITian wants Ballot Parchi

Now, the debate over EVM focusses on PM Narendra Modi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's policies.

New Delhi, March 16: Currently, the entire nation is debating over the 'authenticity' of electronic voting machines. The controversy started after Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati alleged that the EVMs were tampered to give a favourable result to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The BSP won just 19 seats and the BJP along with its alliance partners won 325 seats in the 403-seat UP polls, the results of which were declared on Saturday.

After making the allegations, Mayawati is planning to go to the court to 'prove her point'. It is not just Mayawati, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also made similar allegations against tampering of EVMs during the Punjab assembly polls. Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party contested elections in both Punjab and Goa. While in Goa the party failed to win a single seat, in Punjab the AAP won 20 seats in 117-member Punjab assembly elections. The Election Commission denied the charges saying that the EVMs can't be tampered.

Many say that Kejriwal and Mayawati are crying foul over EVMs as they faced a humiliating defeat in the elections. BJP leaders have suggested that both Kejriwal and Mayawati should accept the verdict gracefully.

Kejriwal, who has asked the EC to switch over to ballot papers for the upcoming Delhi municipal polls, scheduled in April, has received severe backlash on social media. The entire debate over EVMs has now turned into a Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kejriwal prestige issue.

A tweet by @bhaiyyajispeaks sums up the entire PM Modi and Kejriwal fight over EVMs. "India is a country where a Chaiwala is talking about Digital India, Cashless transactions etc & an IITian wants 'Ballot-Parchi' system back."

India is a country where a Chaiwala is talking about Digital India, Cashless transactions etc & an IITian wants 'Ballot-Parchi' system back.

— Bhaiyyaji (@bhaiyyajispeaks) March 15, 2017

PM Modi is also addressed as chaiwala (tea seller) as he used to sell tea as a child to support his family. Kejriwal is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal. Although PM Modi is yet to speak on the issue, his fans have dragged him into the debate to counter Kejriwal's allegations.

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