Congress debates role of EVMs behind 2023 poll losses, may discuss issue within INDIA for 2024 elections

“The huge seat difference in Madhya Pradesh between the Congress and the BJP as well as the vote share difference between the two parties at a time when the mood of the people was against the BJP is puzzling. There is something wrong somewhere and the role of the EVMs appears to be doubtful. It will be good if the EVM issue is discussed within the opposition alliance and a collective view is taken for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” says AICC secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh CP Mittal while speaking to ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi:The Congress is debating the role of EVMs behind the recent poll losses in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and may take up the matter with the INDIA allies to forge a uniform view ahead of 2024 national polls.

“The huge seat difference in Madhya Pradesh between the Congress and the BJP as well as the vote share difference between the two parties at a time when the mood of the people was against the BJP is puzzling. There is something wrong somewhere and the role of the EVMs appears to be doubtful. It will be good if the EVM issue is discussed within the opposition alliance and a collective view is taken for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” AICC secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh CP Mittal told this channel.

“It is for our party high command to take that decision,” he said. The Congress leader’s remarks came on a day party chief Mallikarjun Kharge reviewed the poll losses in MP and Chhattisgarh with senior AICC and state functionaries.

Over the past days, anti-EVM voices have emerged strongly within the party with both former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and MP unit chief Kamal Nath flagging the tampering of the EVMs.

While Baghel said any reference to the EVMs made the BJP uneasy, Kamal Nath wondered how party MLAs could get just 50 votes in the booths in their strongholds.

“Free and fair polls are not possible through the EVMs. The mandate has been stolen in the recent assembly elections. Free and fair polls reflecting the will of the people can only be held through the ballot paper. Many countries in the world have banned EVMs. It should be done here also,” CWC member Kamleshwar Patel told this channel.

According to him, Italy, France, Germany, Netherland, and Ireland don’t use EVMs.

According to former MP chief minister Digvijay Singh, who has been discussing the EVM issue within the Congress and along with like-minded parties, “Any machine with a chip can be hacked. I have opposed voting by EVM since 2003. Can we allow our democracy to be controlled by professional hackers! This is the fundamental question which all political parties have to address. Honourable ECI and Supreme Court, would you please defend our democracy.”

According to Singh, the BJP had blamed the EVMs and the Congress for the poll losses in 2009 national polls and before that BJP leader LK Advani had questioned the role of the EVMs when the NDA had lost power in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls.

The former chief minister also pointed out that the MP Congress had got more votes in postal ballots but lost when the EVM results came out.

In the past, the opposition parties have been speaking against the use of remote EVMs for migrant workers and demanding matching of 10 percent of VVPATS with actual results to ensure efficacy of the EVMs. The opposition leaders had wondered how the EC would include the 20 crore or 30 crore migrant voters in the system and what was the basis of that number.

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