Maharashtra shocker: Oppn to launch anti-EVM protests

Highlights

Congress will not contest elections until ballot papers are reintroduced: Ex-Chhattisgarh Minister

Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi - thumped last week in the Maharashtra election - is planning a national protest against the credibility of EVMs, or electronic voting machines, which it blames for its defeat.

The candidates have decided to seek verification of the EVM-Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) units in their segments, a leader of the opposition alliance said. Many losing candidates of the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) pointed fingers at the functioning of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during their interaction with party head Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday.

The MVA - fronted by the Congress and the Shiv Sena and NCP factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar - also plans to move the court to return to ballot papers.

Thackeray and Pawar met defeated MVA candidates Wednesday to form legal teams, at the state and national levels, to address the longstanding concern for opposition parties.

The Mahayuti cruised to victory, winning 235 of 288 Assembly seats. The BJP won 132 - its best-ever score in a Maharashtra election - on its own and is expected to lead the next government.

The MVA won just 49 seats; the Thackeray Sena got 20, the Congress 16, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP group just 10 to record the veteran leader’s worst ever electoral performance.

Nana Patole, the ex-chief of the Congress’ state unit, Nana Patole, who quit after the results were announced, similarly denounced EVMs, insisting it is not being taken seriously.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged discrepancies in votes counted through ballot papers and EVMs in recently-held Maharashtra assembly polls which saw the BJP-led Mahayuti retaining power by trouncing the opposition MVA coalition. Pawar demanded that the Election Commission of India allow the opposition to inspect any random EVM for investigation by private experts

Congress will not contest upcoming elections until the ballot paper mechanism is reintroduced, senior party leader and former Chhattisgarh minister Kawasi Lakhma said on Wednesday. Lakhma said meetings will be held with INDIA bloc allies over AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge’s demand for bringing in the ballot paper mechanism, Congress party will not contest upcoming elections until ballot papers are reintroduced. Congress will speak to all alliance partners (of INDIA bloc) and launch protests, Lakhma said. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said instead of raising question marks over the electronic voting machines (EVMs), the opposition parties should accept their defeat in the state assembly polls and introspect.

Newly-elected Congress MLAs in Maharashtra on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution authorising party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to appoint the new legislature party leader and chief whip in the state assembly.