LUCKNOW, May 10 -- Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday reiterated his demand for the abolition of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), saying if developed countries can use ballot papers for elections, why should India not return to this system. He said he would ensure EVMs are removed "even if it takes a century". Addressing a press conference at the Samajwadi Party headquarters in Lucknow, Yadav said socialists must fight a "multi-layered election mafia" to protect democracy and the Constitution. He alleged that such a network was actively influencing the electoral process and described the BJP as a divisive force that seeks to create discord in society. "If votes are cast through paper ballots in countries like the United States, England, and Germany, elections should be held through paper ballots here as well," he stated. However, he pointed out that by rallying everyone together in the 2024 general elections, the Samajwadi Party had defeated the BJP despite the use of EVMs. He said that the Samajwadi Party would once again defeat the BJP again despite EVMs and then work towards completely removing these machines. "Even if it takes years or a century, we are determined to ensure the abolition of EVMs," the former chief minister said. Alleging that the BJP government was fleecing the public through the use of smart meters, he claimed that despite erratic or non-existent power supply, smart meters continue to record consumption. "It has come to light that these smart meters can even be manipulated remotely. if such dishonesty is possible with smart meters, why can it not be possible with EVMs?" he asked. The SP chief further accused the BJP of orchestrating a conspiracy to delete voters' names from the electoral rolls during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. "When people arrived at polling booths, they discovered their names were missing. In many instances, voters' names were arbitrarily shifted to different polling stations," Yadav alleged. "The Samajwadi Party submitted affidavits regarding these disenfranchised voters to the Election Commission, but no action was taken," he said, adding the disenfranchisement was expanded through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to harass and inconvenience the public. Regarding the INDIA bloc in UP, Yadav said the coalition would remain robust and strong....