Eknath Shinde slams Opposition amid EVM tampering row: 'Spreading misinformation'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that the allegations of an EVM being tampered with by the relative of a Shiv Sena MP were wrong and that the Opposition was trying to spread misinformation.

Shinde's remark came amid Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Kirtikar's allegations of foul play in Mumbai North West constituency where Shiv Sena candidate Ravindra Waikar won by just 48 votes and an FIR against Waikar's relative for using a mobile phone at a counting centre in Goregaon on June 4. As per the rules, the use of mobile phones is restricted at counting centres.

"Some people are trying to spread misinformation about the tampering of the EVM, which is completely lie and police will give explanation about it. The opposition won so many seats, but there is no problem. Why are questions being raised about the outcome of only Mumbai North West constituency and not any other result in the state? Is it because my candidate, Waikar, won and the Opposition lost?" Eknath Shinde asked.

"The truth is people of the constituency have taken the decision to make Ravindra Waikar win the election. Out of 19 per cent of Shiv Sena’s vote share, we got 14 per cent. People voted for bow and arrow. UBT has a winning strike rate of 42 per cent, and we have a strike rate of 48 per cent. So they have lost their confidence and are making false allegations," Eknath Shinde said.

Shinde claimed that his party bagged two lakh more votes than the candidates of the Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), of which Sena (UBT) is a part, in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Vandana Suryavanshi, returning officer of Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, refuted the report saying EVM was a standalone system with "robust administrative safeguards" to protect it from any kind of manipulation and that there was no need for an OTP to unlock it.

“It is not programmable and has no wireless communication capabilities. It is a complete lie being spread by a newspaper. We have issued a notice to mid-day newspapers under sections 499, 505 of the Indian Penal Code for defamation and spreading false news,” Suryavanshi said at a press conference on Sunday.

Waikar’s brother-in-law Mangesh Pandilkar was booked on Wednesday under IPC section 188 (disobeying official order) for allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre in Goregaon on June 4, when results of the general elections were announced. Speaking at the press conference, Suryavanshi said the personal mobile phone of one Dinesh Gurav, the data entry operator of Jogeshwari assembly constituency, was found in the hands of an unauthorised person and action is being taken in this regard.