Today's Big StoryNarendra Modi, Amit Shah host dinner for ‘NDA’ family amid controversy over EVMs
With less than a day before counting of votes in the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a meeting and dinner hosted by BJP chief Amit Shah for partners of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The dinner came hours after several reports emerged raising concerns of tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Leaders of opposition parties even poll panel demanding the counting of VVPAT slips in case of large discrepancy.
'United we stand': The dinner, meant to be a show of strength in light of the exit poll prediction, was attended by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan among others.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that 36 allies attended the dinner and the three that failed to turn up had pledged their support "in writing". The BJP leaders played down the concerns raised over the EVMs.
Opposition woes: Meanwhile, the leaders of the 22 opposition parties met the Election Commission and presented some video clips alleging “unauthorised" movements of EVMs, particularly in four places in Uttar Pradesh.
Former President Pranab Mukherjee also raised concerns about alleged EVM tampering saying that “there can be no room for speculations that challenge the very basis of democracy".
This is how the poll panel reacted.
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