The State Election Commission of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday urged the Election Commission of India to allow it to use the paper ballot system to conduct local polls if it could not provide Electronic Voting Machines in “good working condition”.

State Election Commissioner SK Agarwal told PTI: “I had a word with Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and requested him that the EC must provide latest EVMs that are in good working condition. Else, it should allow us to conduct elections to urban local bodies using paper ballots.”

Agarwal is referring to mayoral polls and elections to the posts of civic body corporators, arrangements for which need to be completed by mid July. He pointed out that during the 2012 polls, the EC had provided them with EVMs manufactured in 2006, which did not “suit the requirements”.

The controversy over EVM manipulation began after the results of the Assembly elections in five states were declared in March. While the Election Commission has maintained that the voting machines are tamper-proof, Opposition parties have repeatedly called for the polling monitor to switch back to using the paper ballot system for “fair” elections.

After receiving a number of complaints claiming that EVMs are vulnerable to hacking, the polling monitor is believed to have decided to hold a “hackathon” from the first week of May to test them. It had said on April 2 that it will soon replace more than nine lakh voting machines with devices that cannot be manipulated.