Despite winning 37 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav reiterated his skepticism towards Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during his address on Tuesday.

The Kannauj MP, who has always batted for the use of ballot papers instead of EVMs, said, “EVM pe mujhe kal bhi bharosa nahi tha, aaj bhi nahi hai bharosa, mein 80/80 seats jeet jaun tab bhi nahi bharosa (I didn’t trust the EVMs before, I don’t trust them now. Even if I win 80 seats, I still won’t have trust).”

The issue of EVMs will exist as long as they are not removed from the election process and the Samajwadi Party will keep fighting for it, he said.

“During the election, I had mentioned that after winning through EVMs, we would work towards removing them. The issue of EVMs has not died. Until EVMs are eliminated, Samajwadi supporters will keep demanding it,” he added.

Yadav wants the country to adopt the system practised in developed countries like the United States, Japan and Germany.

“If you want to become a developed country, then why don’t you adopt the system of voting practised in developed countries? A country like America, which is powerful in economy, conducts voting through ballot for months; a country like Japan, which invented EVM, conducts voting through ballot; in Germany, their Supreme Court has imposed a ban that if voting is done through EVM then it is unconstitutional,” Yadav said earlier.

“In the INDIA alliance, we will put forth the resolution to remove EVMs, the BJP will also get dislodged “from power),” he had said.