Facing repeated defeats, Oppn finds flaws with EVMs, SIR: BJP MP in LS

 

 

 

A BJP member in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday asked the Opposition to introspect instead of questioning the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines and the reason behind holding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opening the debate on ‘Election Reforms’ in the Lok Sabha for the BJP, Sanjay Jaiswal also said that despite Opposition’s claims that his party will benefit most from simultaneous polls, the reality is that it will possibly be the other way round.

 

But since the BJP’s core philosophy is nation first, the party supports holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together, Jaiswal said. While BJP leaders work overtime during elections, Congress leaders believe in “tourism” and remain “absent” during actual campaigning, the BJP MP from Paschim Champaran, Bihar, said. He also said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a campaign on “vote chori” ahead of Bihar elections but did not rake up the governance policies of the NDA, which had been ruling the State for years.

 

Jaiswal claimed the electorate of Bihar was confused about the “vote theft” claims, as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the State proved that no eligible voter was left behind. Urging the Opposition to introspect on its strategies, Jaiswal said they instead accuse the SIR and challenge the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for their defeat after every election.

 

EVMs were introduced by Rajiv Gandhi: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey hit out at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the LS on Tuesday over his attack on EVMs, saying the voting machines were introduced in the country by his father, late Rajiv Gandhi, during a pilot project in 1987. Participating in a discussion on election reforms in the Lower House of Parliament, the Godda (Jharkhand) MP said how can Gandhi claim that the Election Commission (EC) is colluding with those in power to shape elections when the Congress has historically rewarded those who were at the helm of affairs at the poll body.

 

“All Opposition parties spoke about EVMs.... I want to tell the House that the EVMs were first introduced by the Congress. (Former Prime Minister) Rajiv Gandhi had brought EVMs as part of a pilot project in 1987 and then, in 1991, the Narasimha Rao government introduced the electronic machines for voting,” he said.