EVM Row: Opposition Delegation to Meet Election Commission on Monday
The Opposition has demanded the ECI to revert to ballot papers for holding elections, claiming that the EVMs are prone to be hacked.
New Delhi, February 1: A joint delegation of Opposition parties will be approaching the Election Commission on Monday to raised their concerns over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The decision to approach the polling body was taken following a meeting of Opposition called by the Congress in the Constitution Club earlier today.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, addressing the media after the meeting on Friday, said the issue of EVMs was discussed at length by the opposition leaders. "We have had a good meeting. All parties have agreed to discuss in detail three issues -- two central and one structural -- jobs, agriculture and attack on institutions. We are going to meet and find solutions to these problems," he said. Not Going Back to Ballot Paper in 2019 General Elections, Says CEC Sunil Arora.
"The election will be about jobs, agriculture, attack on institutions, and corruption by the prime minister in the Rafale deal," the Congress chief said.
Asked about the budget being hailed as a "surgical strike", Gandhi said "surgical strike" will happen on the prime minister and his government on issues such as Rafale, jobs and demonetisation.
He said opposition parties will meet election commission officials on Monday over concerns about EVM tampering.
Apart from Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party's Satish Chandra Mishra, DMK's Kanimozhi, Derek O'Brien of Trinamool Congress, CPI's D Raja, CPI-M's T K Rangarajan, Manoj Jha of Rashtriya Janata Dal, Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary among others, attended the meeting.
Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and A K Antony, Danish Ali of JDS and Sharad Yadav were also present in the meeting.
Several Opposition parties have been claiming that only two-three countries are using EVMs and the rest have reverted to the ballot paper system following complaints of malfunctioning of these machines.
The Congress, while supporting the demand, has maintained that since the Lok Sabha election is just around the corner, the EC should ensure counting of paper trail in 50 per cent booths across the country to ensure there is no doubt in the minds of the voters.
(With PTI inputs)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 01, 2019 07:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).