Maha polls: NCP writes to EC, seeks ban on internet services within 3km radius of poll booths

To avoid any criminal activities from taking place, The NCP on Sunday wrote to the Maharashtra State Election Commission seeking an order to stop internet services within a three-kilometre radius of every poll booth and strong room. It claimed that hacking is possible by professional hackers using mobile internet.

Mumbai (Maharashtra):The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday wrote to the Maharashtra State Election Commission seeking an order to stop internet services within a three-kilometre radius of every poll booth and strong room in the poll-bound state from October 21 to 24.

The NCP is headed by the former chief minister of Maharashtra Sharad Pawar.

"To avoid such criminal activities from taking place we request you to issue an order in Maharashtra that within the 3 km radius of every poll booth and strong room (where EVMs would be stored) Internet services should be stopped from the time voting begins from October 21 to counting of votes is concluded on October 24," the letter written by NCP Maharashtra general Secretary Shivajirao Gajre read.

The NCP said that there is a suspicion among people of Maharashtra that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs)can be "hacked" and the votes that they cast go to some other candidate whom they do not wish to vote for.

It claimed that hacking is possible by professional hackers using mobile internet.

The Maharashtra state assembly elections are one of the most crucial elections in the country as more than 8 crore people would be exercising their franchise.

On October 17, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar's election representative, Kiran Gujar had demanded installation of network jammers and CCTV cameras at the strong room in the Baramati constituency.

Single-phase Assembly polls in Maharashtra are scheduled to be held on October 21 and results will be announced on October 24.