Daijiworld Media Network

Barrackpore (WB), Apr 28: Alleging display of party name only under the BJP symbol on EVMs during a mock poll in West Bengal's Barrackpore constituency, opposition parties on Saturday approached the Election Commission.

A delegation of opposition parties comprising senior Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Ahmed Patel and Trinamool Congress' Dinesh Trivedi and Derek O'Brien met Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora over the issue and demanded that either all such EVMs be removed from the remaining phases of elections or names of other parties be added too.

Interestingly, the poll panel said the same insignia has been under use since 2013. The EVMs display the party symbols, name of the candidates and their photographs.

Singhvi, after meeting the CEC, told reporters, "On EVMs, letters 'BJP' are visible under the party's symbol. No other party's name is there. Either remove all machines which mention BJP clearly or all other parties' name should be added in all such machines. Till then the use of these machines has to be totally stopped in the elections.”

Former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, who is also a sitting MP from Barrackpore, said, “Before the EC could hear our part of the argument, they had already given the judgment that we are carrying on with the process and there is nothing wrong.”