Mallikarjun Kharge raised the demand after the Opposition's defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, in which the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance won 230 of the 288 seats.
Published Nov 26, 2024 | 9:41 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 26, 2024 | 9:41 PM
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge at the Constitution Day event in Delhi. (Mallikarjun Kharge/X)
Raising serious concerns over the reliability and transparency of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge demanded the use of ballot papers in elections in the country.
“We don’t want EVMs, we want ballot paper,” Kharge said at the Constitution Day event the Congress organised at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday, 26 November.
The Congress chief raised the demand after the Opposition’s defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, in which the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance won 230 of the 288 seats.
Several other Congress leaders, too, questioned the integrity of EVMs. Karnataka MLA Rizwan Arshad said there was something fishy about the EVMs. “The machine ensures that votes polled and votes counted cannot differ. If this doesn’t match, it indicates something fishy,” he said.
Arshad raised allegations about potential biases, noting that malfunctioning EVMs often showed votes for the BJP. He also criticised the government for appointing BJP members to the Board of Directors of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the public sector unit responsible for manufacturing EVMs.
“The ECI has not explained why 1.5 lakh EVMs are missing,” he added, alleging that the Election Commission of India (ECI) now acts as a facilitator for BJP’s electoral prospects.
Congress’s National Spokesperson Lavanya Ballal highlighted the Maharashtra results as a tipping point for party workers.
“It is alright if we have lost, but Congress workers want to know what happened to their votes. There is space for a lot of doubts,” she said.
Ballal suggested that returning to ballot papers would enhance transparency, adding, “We do not want to say EVMs are bad or manipulated, but there is a huge grey area.”
BR Naidu, General Secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, alleged that the BJP targeted states like Maharashtra to manipulate elections.
“With ballot papers, they cannot do this much. Second, not all machines have VVPATs,” he argued. Naidu also opined that rural voters found ballot papers more tangible and understandable compared to EVMs.
Arshad pointed out discrepancies in the BJP’s electoral focus. “Maharashtra was a high-stakes battle for the BJP. They have broken Shiv Sena and NCP and spent thousands of crores to retain the state. That’s why we suspect tampering,” he said.
However, he noted that the BJP did not attempt manipulation in states like Jharkhand, where stakes were lower.
Vijay Thottathil from Kerala’s Congress Digital Media Cell questioned voting irregularities, citing instances of last-minute increases in voter turnout, as reported by the ECI. He alleged an addition of five lakh votes post-counting, which fueled skepticism.
“People have lost trust in the EVMs,” Thottathil said. “This naturally raises doubts about the authenticity of the process.”
Congress leaders stressed the need for electoral reforms to rebuild trust among voters. “If Mr. Modi and the BJP are confident that people stand with them, how does it matter if the voting is on a ballot?” Arshad questioned.
Ballal emphasised the party’s responsibility as the Opposition to demand accountability. “We were mocked when we raised issues like the Adani scam, but we are vindicated now. We must demand the return to ballot papers,” she said.
(Edited by Majnu Babu)
