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Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh proposed a way of conducting elections through ballot paper in the Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress candidate from Rajgarh said he is working to get 400 people to file nominations from his constituency so that polling can be conducted through the ballot paper.
"There is a way if you want the elections to be conducted through ballot paper here. If 400 candidates contest from one seat, the polls will be conducted through ballot paper. I am preparing for that," Singh said while speaking at a street meeting at Kachnaria village in Rajgarh on Sunday. The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister gave details on the security deposit that has to be deposited by candidates who are willing to contest. "Those who are not from the reserved category have to deposit Rs 25,000 as security and those from SC/ST categories have to deposit Rs 12,500. This will lead to having one seat in the country where elections will be held through ballot paper," Singh said. "We can win this election this time because people are fed up with this government," he added. Digvijaya Singh had earlier raised doubts about conducting elections through Electronic Voting Machines (EVM). "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 Commission did not give any response other than sending us their manuals and FAQs (frequently asked questions). We don't trust the EVMs," Singh said, speaking to ANI in February. 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." (ANI)
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