E-Paper
EVM critic Digvijaya Singh calls for ballot papers to be used in MP's Rajgarh: ‘Preparing for that’
Digvijaya Singh also exuded confidence that the Congress will be victorious in the Lok Sabha polls, as ‘people are fed up with this government.’
Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh, a known critic of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and an advocate of voting through ballot papers, on Sunday ‘proposed’ a way for voting to be conducted through ballots in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh parliamentary constituency, from where the grand old party has nominated him for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
“There is a way for elections to be conducted through ballot papers here. If 400 candidates contest from one seat, the polls will be conducted through ballot papers. I am preparing for that,” Singh said at a street meeting in Rajgarh's Kachnaria village.
The ex-Madhya Pradesh chief minister then gave details on the security deposit an individual is required to make, to contest an election.
“Those not from the reserved category must deposit ₹25,000 as security, while those from the SC/ST categories must deposit ₹12,500. This will lead to having one seat in the country where elections will be held through ballot paper,” he elaborated.
Singh also exuded confidence that the Congress will be victorious in the Lok Sabha polls, as ‘people are fed up with this government.’
The senior Congress member's statement came on a day when, at a rally of the party-led opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc in Delhi, various leaders, including ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, raised doubts over EVMs, and accused the ruling BJP of ‘match-fixing.’
“If you (people) don't give votes judiciously, the match-fixers (BJP) will win. The country will be on fire if the BJP returns to power,” Gandhi ‘cautioned’ at the rally.
The Election Commission of India (ECI), on its part, has repeatedly dismissed claims that EVMs can be ‘tampered.’ On March 16, while releasing schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar was asked a question in this regard.
“It is not right to blame the Election Commission for unfulfilled desires. You can't do your job properly an then blame EVM when the results come,” Kumar responded through a Hindi couplet.
(With ANI inputs)
