After J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee has also dismissed the Congress party’s allegations against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The Congress has been demanding a return to ballot paper voting after its surprise losses in the Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly elections.
“The people who raise questions on EVMs, if they have anything, then they should go and show a demo to the Election Commission. If work is done properly at the time of EVM randomisation, and the people who work on the booth check during mock polls and counting, then I don’t think there is any substance in this allegation,” Banerjee said on Monday.
“If still someone feels that EVMs can be hacked, then they should meet the Election Commission and show how EVMs can be hacked. Nothing can be done by just making random statements.”
BJP’s Amit Malviya was quick to seize on Banerjee’s statement, claiming it leaves the Congress isolated on the EVM issue. “After Omar Abdullah, if even West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, who brazenly steals election in Diamond Harbour, using police and state machinery, claims that EVMs can’t be manipulated, then the Congress and Rahul Gandhi are in serious trouble. Their isolation is complete,” Malviya tweeted.
Banerjee’s comments come just a day after Omar Abdullah refuted the Congress’ objections to EVMs. Speaking to PTI, Abdullah said, “When you get a hundred-plus members of Parliament using the same EVMs, and you celebrate that as sort of a victory for your party, you can’t then a few months later turn around and say… we don’t like these EVMs because now the election results aren’t going the way we would like them to.”
Abdullah, whose National Conference is part of the INDIA bloc, clarified that his stance on the matter is based on principles rather than partisan loyalty. He cited his endorsement of the Central Vista project in Delhi as an example of his independent thinking. “Contrary to what everybody else believes, I think that what’s happening with this Central Vista project in Delhi is a damn good thing. I believe constructing a new Parliament building was an excellent idea. We needed a new Parliament building. The old one had outlived its utility,” he said.
The J&K Chief Minister also questioned the opposition’s approach to elections if they doubt the voting mechanism. “If you have problems with the EVMs, then you should be consistent in those problems,” he remarked. “Parties should not contest elections if they do not trust the voting mechanism.”
The Congress has raised concerns about EVM reliability following its recent electoral defeats. It has demanded a return to paper ballots, claiming that EVMs compromise election outcomes.
See insights
Boost a post
Like
Comment
Send
Share
