Ahead of the announcement of dates for the Jharkhand and Maharashtra assembly elections, Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Tuesday demanded that voting should be conducted using ballot papers. He said if electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be used, the BJP government and the Election Commission "can do anything".
He said if Israel could kill people by rigging their pagers, anything could happen. He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very good relations with Israel.
"In Maharashtra, the opposition should put pressure to insist on voting by paper ballot and not EVMs. Otherwise, in Maharashtra, BJP government and EC can do anything. If Israel can kill people by use of pagers and walkie-talkies, then where does EVM stand? The PM has very good relations with Israel. Israel is an expert in such things," he told ANI.
Also read: ‘Won’t happen in Maharashtra': Sanjay Raut alleges EVM fraud in Haryana polls
"EVM's big game can happen anywhere. Hence, the BJP plays this game before the elections," he claimed.
{{/usCountry}}"EVM's big game can happen anywhere. Hence, the BJP plays this game before the elections," he claimed.
{{/usCountry}}The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) alleged that the Election Commission is not acting independently and is under pressure from the BJP.
"The election is to be announced today, but BJP leaders got information about it yesterday. This is a very serious matter. Does the commission work at the behest of BJP leaders? It is a serious matter to keep the commission as a puppet," JMM leader Manoj Pandey said.
Also read: In ECI meeting, Congress flags 99% battery level in EVMs: ‘We need concrete answers’
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha tweeted via its official X handle, "The boss has set everything up. What a scene! @ECISVEEP, will you say something?"
The remarks came as the Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to announce the dates for the assembly polls.
Israel had killed several people in Lebanon by rigging the pagers of Hezbollah operatives.
The opposition has been levelling the EVM-rigging allegation for several years, attributing BJP's electoral success to its alleged nexus with the Election Commission. The poll panel has denied the charge on several occasions.
Earlier this month, the Congress had alleged discrepancies in the counting of votes after it unexpectedly lost the Haryana assembly elections. The BJP won 48 of the state's 90 seats. The Congress won just 37 seats.