E-Paper
Congress leaders rake up EVM issue at Chintan Shivir, bat for ballot paper
At Chintan Shivir, former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan suggested that a resolution should be passed saying India will return to paper ballots if the Congress returns to power.
UDAIPUR: A string of losses in both national and regional polls prompted the Congress Chintan Shivir to discuss the electronic voting machine (EVM) and its possible tampering, even as it won several elections including the two general elections in 2004 and 2009 with votes cast in machines.
Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan suggested that the Chintan Shivir should pass a resolution saying India will return to paper ballots if the Congress returns to power—a proposition that would require winning votes through EVMs!
The political committee of the Shivir, led by Rajya Sabha leader of the opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, saw several enthusiastic speakers questioning the credibility of EVMs. Many pointed out to the recent state elections, particularly Uttar Pradesh, to drive home their point. “Some leaders furnished data, others cited articles to express doubt over EVMs.”
To be sure, the Congress came to power in 2004 and 2009 in elections conducted using EVMs. And it has won several state elections since 2014 that were conducted using EVMs. More importantly, there is no evidence so far that EVMs can be rigged.
In 2017, amid a raging debate the Election Commission challenged political parties to prove their claim that electronic voting machines can be tampered with. The event saw participation of several parties but none could tamper with it and prove EC wrong.
The poll panel has ruled out reverting to paper ballots but reiterated that the voter-verifiable paper audit trail, or VVPAT, will be used along with EVMs in all elections to ensure transparency. VVPAT records the candidate and symbol a person voted for in a paper receipt.
