GUWAHATI, May 14 � Even as the State's Opposition parties are alleging that the ruling party has tampered with the electronic voting machines (EVMs) to ensure the latter's spectacular victory in the Assembly elections by demolishing the Opposition camp, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State H Narzary today dismissed the allegation as illogical.
Immediately after the Assembly election results revealing their shocking defeat at the hands of the Congress yesterday, leaders of the Opposition parties started expressing their doubts over the electoral results. One after another, they started echoing the same opinion that without tampering with the EVMs, such a spectacular victory for the Congress would not have been possible.
They also suggested that they would chalk out action plans individually or jointly on the issue within a short span of time.
Today, when asked to comment on the matter, State's CEO H Narzary maintained, "Tampering with the EVMs is not technically possible."
It needs mention here that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, while talking to the media yesterday, dared the Opposition leaders to prove their point. He also pointed out that with such an allegation, the Opposition leaders have heaped insults on the people of the State. The Opposition leaders have failed to respect the verdict of the people, asserted the Chief Minister.
Observers here are also critical of the Opposition leaders for their stand on the issue. Had it been possible on the part of any of the ruling parties in the country then the results of the recent elections in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal would have been quite different, maintained these observers.
Significantly, the leaders of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) had in recent press conferences been claiming that the Congress would be able to secure only 31 to 33 seats in the next Assembly election. And when this was countered by the Congress camp that they might win over 60 seats, the AGP leaders used to say that this would be possible by tempering with the EVMs.
Even the findings of a recent post-poll survey conducted by the Gauhati University Political Science Department with the Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Society (CSDS) were described by former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta as unbelievable. The survey gave Congress between 64 and 72 seats.
Mahanta was on record saying, "If the findings of the survey become a reality, despite a strong wind of change blowing in favour of the Opposition, then it must be said that something is wrong with the EVMs."
