Omar Abdullah calls out Congress's hypocrisy regarding EVM charge
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has slammed the Congress party's opposition to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The Congress, an ally in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) Bloc, had expressed concerns over EVM reliability after losses in Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls. "When you get a hundred-plus members of Parliament using the same EVMs...you celebrate...then a few months later turn around and say...we don't like these EVMs because...the election results aren't going [your] way," he said.
Abdullah calls for consistency in EVMs trust
Abdullah stressed the need for consistency in raising issues with EVMs and said if parties don't trust the voting mechanism, they shouldn't contest elections. When asked if his views matched with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said, "God forbid," adding he was committed to principles and not party loyalty.
Abdullah's party expresses dissatisfaction with Congress
Reportedly, Abdullah's National Conference (NC) was unhappy with Congress's campaign efforts during Jammu and Kashmir's September Assembly elections. Nevertheless, the NC and the Congress fought together, with the former winning 42 seats in the 90-member Assembly while the Congress managed six. He pointed out that electoral machines remain unchanged irrespective of results and shouldn't be used as excuses for loss.
Abdullah urges Congress to justify leadership role
Abdullah also acknowledged growing discontent among INDIA bloc partners with the Congress and asked it to earn its leadership in the bloc. "By virtue of being the single largest party in Parliament, and also having the leader of opposition in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the fact that they have a pan-India footprint, which no other party can lay claim to, they are natural sort of leaders of an opposition movement," Abdullah told PTI.
