If the Nationalist Congress Get together (SP) has introduced its assist to the Aam Aadmi Get together (AAP) in Delhi, at the least one among its MLAs, Uttam Jankar, has gone one step additional. He says he has reached out to the AAP to apprise it of the methods during which EVMs will be “manipulated”, forward of the polling – and counting – for the Delhi Meeting elections.
Jankar believes he’s the precise particular person to take action. Whereas the NCP (SP) chief had received from the Malshiras constituency within the Maharashtra Meeting polls in November final yr, voters in Markarwadi village falling below the seat had introduced a “repoll” by poll paper, elevating questions over Jankar’s BJP rival main from there within the Meeting polls. Following risk of motion by the authorities and the imposition of prohibitory orders, the “repoll” had been cancelled. Jankar was one of many 89 individuals booked for allegedly violating the prohibitory orders.
Jankar, who was in Delhi final week and met AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, instructed The Indian Categorical that he might be assembly AAP booth-level leaders quickly to apprise them of attainable methods the BJP can “tamper with” EVMs.
“We had deliberate a protest at Jantar Mantar over the EVM discrepancies too, however it was known as off resulting from safety restrictions for Republic Day. I’ll meet AAP leaders and inform them how the BJP manipulates EVMs,” Jankar stated.
Sources stated a protest together with AAP leaders was nonetheless on the playing cards and could also be held after January 31. The campaigning for the February 5 Delhi elections ends on February 3.
Jankar stated that given the scarcity of time, “there’s a risk that the assembly with AAP booth-level leaders could also be held nearly, as it might be simpler”.
Sanjay Singh confirmed assembly the NCP (SP) MLA however stated he was unaware about Jankar’s attainable assembly with booth-level leaders.
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Extremely positioned sources within the AAP added that the occasion had for its half roped in younger engineers to maintain an eye fixed out on voting day. “On February 5, the staff will monitor voting as we’ve got info that the authorities, together with the police, could attempt to decelerate the voting course of,” a supply stated.
As per sources, different youths affiliated to the AAP in areas the place the occasion is robust might be educated in the usage of “sting units” to document any incidents of “police or administrative high-handedness”.
Requested about Jankar’s remarks, the NCP (SP) was guarded, with the chief occasion spokesperson Mahesh Tapase solely saying they had been “strategically supporting” the AAP. “We wish to defeat the BJP. With this in thoughts, we’re supporting the AAP strategically as among the many non-BJP events within the fray in Delhi, it has the best probability of coming to energy,” he stated.
Advocating higher coordination between non-BJP events, Tapase stated his occasion may lengthen “assist to the Congress on strategic seats” if the necessity arises.
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The Congress and AAP failed to succeed in a deal for the Meeting elections in Delhi and, aside from the NCP (SP), different INDIA companions such because the Samajwadi Get together and Trinamool Congress have additionally prolonged their assist to Kejriwal.
Whereas in Delhi, Jankar stated he had introduced an affidavit to the Election Fee (EC) with self-attested voter ID card copies of “2,500 voters” of his constituency, searching for a “thorough probe” into the alleged ballot discrepancies within the Maharashtra Meeting elections. “Within the coming days, we are going to submit over 1.75 lakh voter IDs with our demand.”
The AAP, by the way, has additionally been persistently alleging discrepancies within the run-up to the Delhi polls, and approached the Election Fee not too long ago claiming the BJP was facilitating deletion of its supporters from electoral rolls. AAP nationwide convener Arvind Kejriwal claimed such “mass deletion” of voters in his personal New Delhi seat.
