UP Minister Mohsin Raza slams SP Chief over EVM tampering remarks

Uttar Pradesh Minister Mohsin Raza on Wednesday slammed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for accusing the ruling BJP of trying to "steal" votes by saying that it is sad to question the working of Election Commission of India.

Speaking totoday, Raza said, "It is sad to question the working of ECI. Indirectly, they are accepting their defeat by questioning the EVMs. Our party will accept the mandate of the people. Exit polls have come. The exact poll result will come tomorrow."

"Akhilesh speaks without logic. If you do not have logic, then why will the public vote for you? Akhilesh was almost invisible for the last five years," he added.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Mohsin Razal lauded the developmental works carried out by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state.

"On the other hand, people have appreciated the schemes of the BJP government as public welfare have been widely appreciated by the people. I am confident that BJP will be voted to power again," the BJP leader said.

Ahead of the counting of votes for Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on Thursday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has alleged "tampering with electronic voting machines" saying BJP was scared as his party was winning Ayodhya. He urged Election Commission to look into the issue.

"Samajwadi Party is winning Ayodhya that is why BJP is scared. Election Commission officials tampering with EVMs," he claimed at a press conference here. Yadav also alleged that EVMs had been transported in Varanasi without information to local candidates.

Exit polls on Monday predicted BJP returning to power in Uttar Pradesh. In electorally crucial Uttar Pradesh, the exit polls predicted that the BJP is poised to comfortably return to power with its allies for an unprecedented second term with most of them stating that the party's tally would be less than that in 2017 elections when it had scored a landslide victory. The Samajwadi Party (SP), which fought the polls with RLD and some other parties, would improve its performance, the exit polls predicted.

Assembly elections were held in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to March 7 in seven phases to elect all 403 members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on March 10.

( With inputs from ANI )