Chennai, Feb 28 (IANS): AIADMK coordinator and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu K.Palaniswami has alleged that the ruling DMK won the recent urban local body elections due to massive malpractices in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs).

He was addressing the party workers at Salem denouncing the arrest of former Tamil Nadu fisheries minister and party leader D. Jayakumar on Monday.

When the voters pressed any button in the EVMs, the votes went to the DMK candidate, he said and alleged that the DMK victory was not democratic.

The allegations are likely to create a major political controversy in Tamil Nadu with the DMK retaliating strongly.

The NDA had earlier dismissed the allegations of EVM malpractices and stuck to the stand that EVMs could not be manipulated. Since the AIADMK is the electoral alliance partner of the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections as well as Assembly elections, such a statement from its ally will lead to the BJP coming out in defence of its political stand.