Result of insulting Sanatan: BJP as Congress questions EVM reliability
What's the story
After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, Congress stalwart Digvijaya Singh questioned the trustworthiness of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
While most fellow opposition leaders cast similar doubts on EVMs, BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh hit back, saying the Congress is worried about EVMs only when it loses.
He further quoted Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam saying that the grand old party lost because it "insulted" Sanatan Dharma.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The war of words erupted as the BJP won the assembly elections in three states by a landslide while the Congress won in Telangana.
EVMs were introduced to prevent booth capturing, wherein paper ballots were tampered with.
While EVMs are considered more secure, they weren't that transparent or verifiable, which was rectified with the introduction of the voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT). However, the counting process remains opaque.
Before coming to power, the BJP reportedly raised similar concerns regarding EVMs.
More
Any machine with chip can be hacked: Singh
Singh claimed any machine with a chip can be hacked, adding he has opposed EVMs since 2003.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference MP Farooq Abdullah also expressed doubts about EVMs, recalling that during his tenure as chief minister, the Election Commission of India (ECI) acknowledged the possibility of "theft."
However, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram expressed confidence in EVMs, acknowledging some party colleagues may hold different opinions.
Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal accused the Congress of disrespecting voters by questioning results.
Details
EVM mandate, not people's: Sanjay Raut
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the election results were an "EVM mandate" but not people's verdict. He dared the BJP to hold elections using ballot papers.
Separately, after the electoral defeat, placards calling for banning EVMs were seen outside Congress party offices.
Interestingly, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar earlier said it won't be surprising if people blamed EVMs after losing polls.
Moreover, Giriraj noted the Congress didn't question EVMs when they won Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka.
What Next?
Akhilesh Yadav demands ballot paper election
Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav also voiced concerns about EVMs and called for a return to ballot paper elections.
He suggested that democracy would be stronger if India adopted systems like those in the United States (US) and Japan, where vote counting takes months.
"If America and Japan have a system of ballot paper, then we should adopt it too. And counting should be done taking time, not hastily. After all, what's the hurry?" said Yadav.
Doubts
In 2019, votes mismatched in 373 constituencies
The Congress questioned EVMs as it was allegedly ahead of the BJP by 21% votes in MP as per postal ballots. However, it received 9% less votes in EVMs.
Earlier, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, votes polled and counted were mismatched in 373 constituencies, per The Quint.
Reportedlu, at least 220 constituencies saw extra votes, while in the rest, votes were in deficit.