Akhilesh Yadav alleged EVMs have been taken out of strong rooms for tampering
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were stolen from a counting centre in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi just two days before the counting of votes, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav alleged today, claiming video proof of the theft.
Akhilesh Yadav, in a press conference called at short notice, said videos showed EVMs were left unprotected at a counting centre in Varanasi, and they were taken away in three trucks. One of the trucks, he claimed, was intercepted by Samajwadi Party workers.
The state Election Commission has not responded to the allegations by the Samajwadi Party and its ally OP Rajbhar.
He dismissed the local administration's counter that the EVMs seen in the videos were "meant for training purposes".
A day after exit polls predicted a BJP victory in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav also alleged that these polls were just a cover for the "theft of EVMs".
"Who's paying for the exit polls?" the former Chief Minister questioned.
Exit polls after the end of voting in UP yesterday said the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP is likely to win another term by a landslide. An aggregate of exit polls gives the BJP and its allies 241 of the state's 403 seats, comfortably above the majority-mark of 202. Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, which was the BJP's main challenger in this election, is predicted to finish second with 142 seats.
"I have often said the UP election is the final battle of democracy. After this, it will take a revolution to defeat the BJP. If we have to go to court we will do it but I appeal to all of you and to all like-minded people who want to save democracy to come out and help," the Samajwadi Party leader said.
"To save our votes we have to go all out. It's just a matter of three days or these people in the administration will get all votes stolen."
Akhilesh Yadav asserted that his alliance would win 300 seats.
The exit polls, he said, were adding to the perception that the BJP is winning and "any theft that may be happening is sidestepped".
Seven-phase voting in Uttar Pradesh concluded on Monday. The results will be declared on Thursday (March 10).