New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday said it will register its objections before the Election Commission on January 16 when the poll panel would discuss the proposal to use remote EVMs for the benefit of 30 crore migrant workers with the various parties. The AICC’s reservations will be based on two broad points, the trust factor in the use of EVMs, and the source of the 30 crore numbers of migrants.
“We are not against the EVMs but the poll panel must ensure transparency in the use of the machines to build voter trust. We also want to know from where is the number of 30 crore migrant workers who were left out in the electoral process coming,” senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh said after he reviewed the EVM issue along with two other senior leaders Jairam Ramesh and Vivek Tankha along with a few experts to firm up the party’s view over the issue.
“The EC has called the parties for a consultation on January 16. We have some questions about the issue. The EC would have to assure the people about the process through which 20 crore or 30 crore migrant voters would be included in this system. We would want to know their preparation for the same,” Tankha, who is a senior Supreme Court advocate, said.
Also read: Coming Soon: Remote EVM for domestic migrant voters; EC develops prototype
Over the past year, state units including UP and Gujarat had briefed the AICC leaders on their concerns related to the use of the EVMs during the assembly polls. However, the party could not make an issue out of it for fear of its concerns being labelled as mere alibis to explain the respective poll losses.
Earlier, the party had suggested to the EC that the number of booths in which the voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips are counted be expanded but the proposal was rejected by the poll panel. In this light, Congress insiders said the party will register its concerns during the EC consultation but if the poll panel still decides to go ahead with the remote EVM proposal, the party would also explore the legal option.
While the Congress expressed concern over the EC proposal, the party also targeted the Centre over its China policy saying that Beijing continues to block India’s access to five patrolling points up to the Y-junction in the Depsang Plains— PP10, PP11, PP11A, PP12 and PP13 — along Raki Nalla. Indian patrols are also currently denied access to the Demchok Nalla (Chardingla Nalla).
“We want to tell the government please don’t repeat the mistakes of 2022, when China grabbed our land at several places along the Line of Actual Control, in the new year 2023,” Congress media head Pawan Khera said.
“We would rather suggest the government make use of the opposition to put pressure on China. The government can tell China that it is under domestic pressure. We are ready to help the government. They should know such diplomacy but the problem is that they don’t even know the D of diplomacy,” he said.
