The raging political row over alleged tampering in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) today flared up as a video clip relating to yesterday's demonstration of an EVM-VVPAT(voter-verifiable paper audit trail) in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind ahead of the 9 April Ater assembly bypoll there surfaced that allegedly indicated that the machines had recorded voting and dispensed slips only in favour of the BJP. 

This demonstration had taken place in the presence of the MP chief electoral officer Saleena Singh and the Bhind collector and returning officer.     

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Seizing on the episode, the Congress and the AAP met the Election Commission (EC) today, demanding a thorough probe into the entire matter as well as these machines and a return to conduct of elections through the old system of ballot papers instead of EVMs.  

The EC has sought a report from the MP poll authorities, even as Saleena Singh reportedly denied reports that the VVPAT machine had dispensed slips for only the BJP symbol.  

The AAP's Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal met the chief election commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi, urging him to investigate cases of "faulty" EVMs and ascertain if their software could be tampered to favour the BJP. He also demanded that EVMs should be scrapped and replaced with ballot papers for conducting free and fair elections in the country. 

Later in the day, a delegation of senior Congress leaders ~ including Digvijay Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Mohan Prakash ~ met the EC to highlight the Bhind EVM-VVPAT's alleged malfunctioning, demanding action against the poll and district officials and pressing for conduct of elections through ballot papers. 

Digvijay said, "The next elections, be it in Gujarat or elsewhere, should be held with ballot papers and the use of EVMs be stopped….When elections all over the world, including in the developed countries, are taking place with ballot paper, why should we have problems in doing so," adding he shared the doubts expressed by leaders like the BJP staklwart L K Advani, the BSP chief Mayawati and Mr Kejriwal about EVMs' functioning. 

Meanwhile, the EC has reportedly decided to send its team of senior officials to MP to supervise the bypolls there.