Congress on Thursday alleged the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in Gujarat tampered with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in local bodies elections for in the state. “Modi’s machine magic has been exposed. The Gujarat Congress was raising questions about the machine magic of Modi. The authorities should take note of the development in the state,” party spokesman Mohan Prakash said.

He claimed that during polling in one of the booths in a village of Baroda district, only 44 votes were cast while totalling the machine suggested that 110 votes had been recorded.

“The PCC in the state has brought it to the notice of the authorities concerned in the state,” Prakash said.

The spokesman alleged a control room was located in the Chief Minister’s Office though it should have been in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

He said that in the machine, if any button was pressed, the vote went in favour of BJP.

Prakash sidestepped a question when asked whether the party agreed with the views of BJP that EVMs could be tampered with.

“We have given evidence. BJP’s charges were without any basis,” he added.

The party also circulated a letter written by Girish Parmar, General Secretary of Gujarat PCC, to the Chief Election Commissioner, state Election Commission of the state.

The letter charged there was tampering of EVM by using laptop and some technocrats along with laptops have been sent by BJP.

BJP had put up impressive performance in municipal bodies polls in Gujarat and panchayat elections in the state began today.

In Photo:Leader of opposition Shaktisinh Gohil after completing voting in his village in Bhavnagar district(Photo by Mukesh Pandit)