Hardik Patel says BJP will indulge in 'fraud' during Gujarat Assembly polls, claims 3,500 VVPAT machines failed EC test

Ahmedabad: Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Friday said that over 3,500 VVPAT machines had “failed” in the first level test of the Election Commission (EC), and alleged that the ruling BJP would indulge in “fraud” in the upcoming Gujarat elections. [caption id=“attachment_4191931” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Patidar leader Hardik Patel[/caption] “Over 3,550 VVPAT machines failed in the first level test of the Election Commission, and I can say with confidence that the BJP will indulge in fraud in Gujarat elections,” Patel said in a tweet.

On 29 September, the EC said that it will use Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) with Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in all 50,128 voting booths in Gujarat. Polls for the 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat would be held on 9 and 14 December. The results would be declared on 18 December. The BJP is facing the ire of the Patidar community in Gujarat. The firebrand Patidar community leader is demanding reservation in educational institutions and government jobs under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.