Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Chinta Mohan on Saturday urged the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India to give their nod for conducting the elections in the country through the “most trusted ballot paper” system and discontinue the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) once and for all.
Addressing the media here, Mr. Mohan, who also a former Union Minister, said that since the 2014 elections, a suspicion had come to grip the general public and several political parties about the authenticity of the EVMs and their vulnerability to tampering by the ruling parties.
“Already, the issue is being discussed in the Congress party and several other opposition parties. Soon, these parties will once again meet and finalise their action plan for bringing back the ballot paper system, as this alone will help protect the democratic process,” Mr. Mohan said.
He further urged the Apex court and the ECI to reduce the gap between the dates of polling and counting of votes.
“The general elections should be conducted in a maximum of three phases, and counting of votes should be completed within one week of polling. This will eliminate the scope to manipulate by the ruling parties,” he said.
Rahul’s walkathon
Referring to former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s proposed 3,500-km walkathon from Kanyakumari beginning September 7, Mr. Mohan said it would usher in revolutionary changes in the party.
The people, particularly those from the poor and downtrodden sections, were waiting for the return of the Congress to power at the Centre in 2024, he said.
“The fortress of the BJP is slowly crumbling. The dissidents are openly expressing their resentment against the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Mr. Mohan said, and alleged that the Modi government had placed the country in the hands of the corporate giants.
Referring to the exit of veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, he said the Congress would only become stronger with the exit of the “dead wood” from the party.
Dig at YSRCP
Referring to the YSRCP government’s policies with regard to education and health, he said, “The State government is harassing the teachers and doctors by entrusting them the tasks that are not relevant to them. They are made to work for the political interests of the YSRCP. The unemployment problem has touched its peak.”
Referring to the disqualification of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemanth Soren as MLA, the Congress leader said the ECI should consider applying the same yardstick in Andhra Pradesh too in the Lepakshi lands scam.
