Quraishi criticised the EC for not being proactive in addressing issues, suggesting that silence from the commission leads political parties to approach the Supreme Court.
Stressing that communication is important in a democracy, former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi on Tuesday, 27 February, said the election commission should call an all-party meeting to address concerns over the EVMs.
Amid concerns being raised by several opposition parties over the electronic voting machines (EVMs), the former CEC said while he defends the EVMs, communication is important in a democracy, and so the election commission (EC) should call a meeting of the political parties and address the concerns.
“I have been defending EVMs for the last 15 years. If EVM is manipulatable could the BJP have lost Karnataka so badly? The PM had addressed 34 rallies… They lost Himachal, Punjab, West Bengal… ” he said during an interaction with journalists at the Indian Women’s Press Corps.
“In 2009, the movement against EVMs was at its peak, BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao had even written a book, today BJP is the biggest defender of the EVM. When I became the CEC, we called an all-party meeting. Political parties are the biggest stakeholders,” he said.
Overall, Quraishi’s remarks reflect his commitment to upholding democratic principles, advocating for transparent electoral processes, and ensuring that the voices of all stakeholders, including political parties, are heard and addressed by the Election Commission.
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