Allan John Waters and Duncan Grant at a Mumbai court on Monday. (PTI)

Mumbai, March 21: The Shiv Sena today said it would oppose the use of electronic voting machines (EVM) in the civic elections in Mumbai and Thane — the party’s biggest test to retain its traditional Maharashtrian vote bank since Raj Thackeray left the party nearly five years ago.

Sena leader Sanjay Raut, also the executive editor of party mouthpiece Saamna, said the party wanted a return to the old system of ballot paper and it would take up the issue strongly.

The civic elections are barely a year away.

“There have been several complaints regarding the credibility of EVMs. The Shiv Sena has always had its reservations since voting went electronic. Our ally, the BJP, has already held demonstrations about how EVMs can be tampered with. So we want the civic elections to be held in the old style of stamping ballot papers,” he said.

Raut’s stand on the issue came a few hours after his marathon interview of Sena chief Bal Thackeray this morning. In the interview, Thackeray questioned the credibility of EVMs while lashing out at the “tsunami of corruption” in the ruling Congress coalitions in the Centre and the state.

The octogenarian blamed the voters for not learning their lesson and re-electing the Congress for three consecutive terms in Maharashtra despite a poor governance record.

“Why are you electing the Congress which has ruined this country again? You do it despite knowing that the electronic system is not foolproof…” Thackeray said addressing the voters, before adding: “Now on we have made a decision. We won’t accept EVMs. We don’t want your machines. We will vote by stamping the ballot.”