The EVMs and the paper trail machines used during a demonstration exercise for a Madhya Pradesh bypoll were not tampered, a probe constituted by the Election Commission has found. (Source: PTI)
Senior Congress leader and former Union law minister Veerappa Moily backs EVMs, says no question of going back to manual methods. Moily slammed the party’s decision to join the chorus against EVMs, saying that amongst all countries, our electoral system is the best and for that the credit should go to the UPA and Congress: He further said that we can have a committee to look into issues of EVMs but no question of going back to manual methods. In fact, Moily called for opposition leaders meeting on EVM issue.
Earlier, a day after Congress joined the bloc of 16 opposition parties to petition the Election Commission against voting machines, Moily expressed dismay that his party had come under the “populist” sway of regional outfits, which were only looking for excuses for their electoral defeats, according to a Times of India report.
He told TheTimes of India, “I am a former law minister. During my period, EVMs were introduced. And complaints also came. We got them verified. Then you know, you should not forget the history. Just because you
think there is a popular wave against EVMs, we will also catch up with that.”
Asked about Congress joining other opposition parties in approaching the EC, Moily said to Times of India “We shouldn’t have. None of us have been consulted… many of us were not consulted.”
You may also like to watch this:
[jwplayer P4XGF0no-DE6UeepY]
The difference of opinion from the senior Congress MP indicates that the party, which preceded BJP at the Centre, may have less leeway in arguing against voting machines than the regional outfits that are not burdened by
history.
The opposition parties that are protesting against the EVMs include Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Left parties, among others. They had met the election commission following allegations of EVM tampering during the February-March Assembly polls in five states as well as the Sunday by-polls in several states.
He even said that the Congress knows very well. Even during our period (UPA), we got them tested. EVM is not the reason. Just because you are defeated? Only the defeatist people will blame EVMs, otherwise there is no point,” Moily said.