‘Election Commission Swayed by PM Modi,’ Alleges NCP

NCP also expressed possibility of rigging on the day poll results would be announced.

(Photo: AP)

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday, 7 May, alleged that the Election Commission (EC) is "swayed" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik made the comment after the Supreme Court dismissed the plea of 21 opposition parties seeking a review of its 8 April order directing the EC to increase random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs to five polling booths per Assembly segment.

Malik alleged that the EC did not find a way out despite there being a possibility of votes polled through the electronic voting machines and the voter-verified paper audit trail slips not tallying.

The NCP leader also expressed possibility of rigging on the day poll results would be announced (23 May) due to the same reason.

"The NCP is trying to ensure people repose faith in the democracy. But the Election Commission is being swayed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Malik said.