EVM का विरोध देश की जनता के जनादेश का अनादर है। हार से बौखलाई यह 22 पार्टियां देश की लोकतांत्रिक प्रक्रिया पर सवा… https://t.co/nIq0RJ2f8C — Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) 1558521067000

With agency inputs

NEW DELHI: A day before the counting of votes, the BJP and the Congress on Wednesday engaged in a war of words over the alleged tampering of electronic voting machines in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.While the BJP strongly rejected the EVM tampering discourse saying the opposition was raising questions on EVMs as it is rattled by its "likely defeat", the Congress targeted the Election Commission and accused the poll body of favouring the ruling party. Taking a dig at the poll body, the Congress said Election Commission means "Eradicated Credibility".Slamming the opposition parties, BJP president Amit Shah said they started protesting against EVMs only after the sixth phase of polling and intensified it after the exit polls, which have predicted a comfortable victory for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance."Opposition to EVM amounts to disrespecting people's mandate. Rattled by their probable defeat, these 22 parties are tarnishing the country and its democracy in the world by raising questions on the democratic process. Their demands have no rationale and are driven by selfish interests," Amit Shah said.The BJP chief also posed 6 questions to the opposition parties on EVMs.The opposition, on the other hand, further escalated its attack on the Election Commission and said EVMs had become Electronic Victory Machines for the BJP. Slamming the EC, they said that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has become "Modi Advertisement Conduct".The attack came on a day the Election Commission rejected the opposition demand for tallying VVPAT slips with EVMs before counting of votes.Twenty-two opposition parties had approached the EC on Tuesday and demanded that VVPATs should be counted first so that if there is a problem or a mismatch, all such slips can be counted before it is too late.EC rejected this demand and said the counting process will follow the established procedure."Immediately after departure of the delegation, the commission deliberated on the issue with senior officials dealing with this issue in ECI. After two rounds of in-depth discussions yesterday and today, it has neither been found possible nor feasible to accede to this demand in the overall context and especially in view of the judgment of Hon’ble Supreme Court in Writ Petition (C) No.273 of 2019 delivered on 8.4.2019," the Election Commission said in a statement.Reacting to the EC decision, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "our demands were rejected by the EC and we have not been formally communicated. In the 15-20 orders of rejection that we have got not more than 4 lines have been used to give explanation or reason. We are also not hopeful of getting any reason from the Election Commission."CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury also slammed the poll body and said that EC's rejection of the opposition demand went against the "spirit" of a Supreme Court order on the devices.The DMK also reacted strongly to the Election Commission's move to stick to counting VVPAT slips at the end of the counting process.The main opposition party in Tamil Nadu hit out at the poll body, saying its decision has blurred the distinction between an independent institution and the Central government."Is this democracy ...? Will the Election Commission listen only to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ...?" senior DMK leader Duraimurugan asked.Terming EC's decision on VVPAT slips a "dark day for Indian democracy", TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh said, "by ignoring the genuine demand of the majority of parties in the country to count 5 VVPAT slips first, the Election Commission has shown once again whose side it wants to take".The opposition parties have asked their workers to keep a strict vigil at places where EVMs are stored.Meanwhile, NDA ally and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan also hit out at the opposition for doubting the EVMs. Dubbing the opposition as "sore losers", Paswan claimed that their "desperation" over the VVPAT issue was an indication of their defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.The LJP chief also said the "impending victory of the NDA" in the Lok Sabha polls is due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.