New Delhi, August 9:  The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday, according to news agency ANI, has called for an all party meeting on August 27 over the EVM row and other poll-related issues. The EC, according to sources, will try and clear the doubts of the opposition parties on the working of EVM machines, which has been questioned by several opposition parties.

Several opposition parties, led by Congress, came together and demanded the use of ballot papers in the upcoming 2019 General Elections.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien had said on the issue that, all the opposition parties have agreed on this "matter." He also said that the parties are planning to meet next month. He said that the parties are planning to meet the EC next week on ballot papers.

According to reports, the Congress, TMC, DMK, RJD, CPI, CPI (M), TDP, BSP, SP, AAP, YSRCP, NCP and JD(S). Even the Shiv Sena (SS), which is part of the NDA, have demanded the use of ballot boxes.

Rajeev Gowda, Congress spokesperson said that the Congress passed a resolution in the plenary session in which it expressed its preference for ballot papers. He said that it is imperative (for the EC) to ensure full faith in the electoral process.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee, who was in Delhi earlier in the week, on a two-day visit, proposed that all opposition parties leaders send a joint delegation to the Election Commission (EC) to discuss the EVMs tampering reports.

Previously, the Election Commission of India had called for an all party meeting in Delhi on May 12, 2017. The meeting was to discuss on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) issue.

The former Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, had then said that EVMs were tamper-proof and secure, said PTI reports.

The commission had proposed to use Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail, also known as VVPAT, in all the elections henceforth. “We will soon hold an all-party meeting in which they will be told how our EVMs are non-temperable and secured as per our administrative and technical safeguard system,” Zaidi was quoted in the report.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 09, 2018 11:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).