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Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said the INDIA bloc was not against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) but demanded that there be 100 percent matching of the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the Congress leader said, "During the INDIA meeting held on December 19 2023, all parties concurred that we are not against EVMs but against manipulation of EVMs. We are not asking to go back to paper ballot but are only calling for the VVPAT to be matched 100%." Earlier, on March 15, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a petition urging a return to paper ballot, alleging irregularities in the functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs). The court declined to entertain the petition filed by petitioner Nandini Sharma, saying that every method has some positive and negative points. The court also expressed its inability to entertain these many petitions related to similar 'concerns' about EVMs. Ramesh's statement marked a departure from the position taken by veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Digvijay Singh, who has repeatedly questioned the integrity of EVMs. Speaking to ANI earlier, Digvijaya claimed that there doubts around the conduct of the poll panel. "An AICC resolution unanimously passed and adopted in 2018 stated that people doubt the fairness of elections conducted through EVMs (electronic voting machines). We demand, therefore, that the upcoming general elections be held through ballot papers only. Whenever we raised questions on the neutrality of EVMs, the Election Commision did not give any response other than sending us their manuals and FAQs (frequently asked questions). We don't trust the EVMs." Claiming that the honchos sitting on the board of the EVM manufacturers are close to the ruling party at the Centre, the veteran Congress leader said, "We will continue our fight (for holding elections through ballot papers) and go to the people. No one is bigger than the public in a democracy. There are doubts around the unbiased nature and conduct of the Election Commission (EC). It suits this government if votes are cast through EVMs. The four directors on the board of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which makes EVMs, have links to the BJP." Earlier on January 2, Jairam Ramesh wrote a letter to the Election Commission seeking an appointment to meet the delegation of INDIA bloc leaders to discuss the issue of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).(ANI)
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