Sharad Yadav urges Election Commission to clear doubts about EVMs, reiterates call for return to ballot papers

New Delhi: Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) patron Sharad Yadav on Monday urged the Election Commission to clarify doubts regarding electronic voting machines (EVM) and demanded that elections should be held on ballot paper. [caption id=“attachment_4895581” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Sharad Yadav. Getty images[/caption] “There are doubts over the EVMs in the minds of the people. And despite the Supreme Court order of May 2017, the Commission has not fulfilled its promise over VVPATs,” Yadav told the media. He said people might not take part in elections fearing that EVMs were faulty. “Which is very dangerous. The elections should be held through ballot paper.” Yadav pointed out that many developed countries were using paper ballot. Attacking the Modi government over unemployment, Yadav said that the government claims were different from the reality. “In 2011-12, the growth rate of the country was 4 percent and 3.3 percent in 2013-14. This went down to less than half percent in 2015-16.” Yadav added: “About 550 jobs are cut every day and there are about 12 crore unemployed youth in the country.” The crop insurance scheme, he said, had mainly benefitted insurance companies, not farmers. He said the insurance companies earned about Rs 9,929 crore from the scheme. The former central minister alleged that the government was trying to intrude into people’s private lives. “They used the social media before the 2014 elections. Now as they are being exposed, they are threatening the social media companies. “In the name of fake news, they want to put restrictions on WhatsApp.”