PATNA: In an unusual move, Lalu Prasad's RJD on Friday urged the election commission of India (ECI) to remove the ‘None of the above' (NOTA) button from the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

"Large number of electors in Bihar are uneducated and they are still not fully aware about the proper use of NOTA button. Hence, we request you to remove the NOTA option from the EVMs," a five-member delegation of RJD led by its state President Ram Chandra Purbey told the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi who is on a two-day visit to Bihar to review the state administration's preparedness for the forthcoming assembly elections in the state.

The RJD delegation also submitted a written memorandum to the CEC, emphasising removal of the NOTA option during the Bihar assembly election-2015.

In its 13-point memorandum, the RJD also demanded a blanket ban on use of old and repaired EVMs in any of polling stations in Bihar. "In any case, only new EVMs should be made available at each polling booths," the party said.

The party also apprehended misuse of EVMs in the name of mock-drill immediately before beginning of the polling. "Polling officers must ensure that the number of polled votes on the EVM panel are brought to ‘zero' after the mock-drill," the RJD said in its memorandum.

The party also demanded ban on the activities of RSS and similar other organisations saying, "Such forces may try to disturb communal harmony during the polls."

The RJD further demanded deployment of only state police and para-military forces at polling stations to ensure free and fair elections. "If sufficient forces are not available with the Bihar Police, state forces should be called only from the neighbouring states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand because the forces of these three states have sufficient experience of working in Maoist affected areas," the RJD's memorandum said.

The party also demanded complete videography of polling process at each polling booths since the beginning of voting in the morning hours on the polling day.

RJD's leader of legislature party Abdul Bari Siddiqui, its state secretary general Mundrika Singh Yadav, MLC Bhola Yadav and general secretary Chittranjan Gagan were part of the delegation that met the CEC.

