Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav) Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday demanded that the bye-elections to Lok Sabha constituencies of Phulpur and Gorakhpur be held through ballot paper. Yadav said that he would hold meetings with opposition party leaders in the second week of January in this regard.

“The bye-elections to Lok Sabha constituencies of Phulpur and Gorakhpur be held through ballot paper in place of electronic voting machines (EVMs). People have faith in free and fair polls. But, in case of EVMs, there are various doubts. Hence, polling should be held through ballot paper,” he said in a statement. Yadav claimed that due to the EVMs, there was an erosion of trust.

“There have been a number of complaints pertaining to faulty EVMs. This is not a good sign for democracy,” he said.

The SP leader’s remarks come in the wake of a contention made by some opposition parties and leaders that during the recent urban local polls in UP, the BJP did not perform well in places where EVMs were not used.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Lucknow News, download Indian Express App.