After Mayawati's claim of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanded an All Party Meeting to discuss about the use of EVMs in any election in the country in future.
In reply to a question on Mayawati and Kejriwal's allegation of EVM tampering, Banerjee said: "I have seen the Election Commission's report that states that EVM machines were not tampered. At the same time, I have also heard the statement of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy who raised a question on the use of EVM machines."
The Chief Minister said: "It is their matter whether they want to accept it or not but I feel that the Election Commission should call an All Party Meeting to discuss the issue."
Banerjee said that she had written a book in 2006 titled "Abisashya" — in which she had given reference of a judgement in Florida in which it was clearly stated that tampering of EVMs is possible.
The microcontrollers which are used in EVMs were made in Japan. Swamy had claimed that he had contacted the manufacturers in Japan to know whether they use the same in the EVMs in their own country. They had replied that they do not go for elections in EVMs but instead they always prefer the paper ballot system. Similarly, EVM is out of use in UK, US and Germany.
Replying to a question on BJP's plan to increase its organisation in Bengal, Banerjee said: "First of all they cannot do that. Now, the BJP is in the fourth position in the state. Then will they make it possible by force?"
"If they target Bengal, we will target India. If they can expand their organisation, then we will also expand ours. However, I have full faith in the people of Bengal. It is not a place where people will accept you for saying something and doing something else," she said adding that she is always in favour of a grand alliance. She said: "For the betterment of the country, the ruling party has to work for the betterment of the country and at the same time, the Opposition also has to be strong."