By IANS,
Bhopal : Three opposition parties in Madhya Pradesh alleged Friday that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the November 2008 assembly poll in the state were tampered with.
Leaders of the Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS) party, the Lok Jan Shakti (LJS) party and the Shiv Sena met Governor Balram Jakhar and told him that EVMs at several places in the state, including the Tikamgarh and Prithvipur constituencies, were tampered with at several polling booths. They also submitted a memorandum on this.
BJS party founder-president Uma Bharti told reporters in the presence of leaders of the other two parties that a Central Bureau of Investigation probe should be ordered into the issue.
Claiming to have ample evidence of the tampering, Bharti said the Election Commission too should look into the alleged fraud. She said her party’s delegation would also meet the Election Commission in New Delhi Jan 16 on this.
Bharti contested from the Tikamgarh constituency and lost by a margin of 3,000 votes to Raghvendra Singh of the Congress.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returned to power in the assembly elections, winning 142 seats – one less than in 2003 – in the 230-member house. The Congress was second with 71 seats, up from 38 in 2003.