stop-fighting-polls-if-you-distrust-evms-omar-to-ally-cong

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has criticised the Congress for its repeated objections to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), stating that electoral credibility "cannot be questioned selectively based on poll outcomes".

 

Abdullah chided the Congress, an ally of his National Conference, for its demand to return to paper ballots following recent electoral defeats.

 

"When you get a hundred plus members of Parliament using the same EVMs, and you celebrate that as sort of a victory for your party, you can't then a few months later turn around and say... we don't like these EVMs because now the election results aren't going the way we would like them to," he remarked.

 

Dismissing any alignment with the BJP’s stance, Abdullah stated: "God forbid!" He further clarified that his stance was based on principles rather than political allegiance. "What's right is right," he affirmed.

 

Abdullah also cited his support for the Central Vista redevelopment project in Delhi as an example of his independent approach.

 

"Contrary to what everybody else believes, I think that what's happening with this Central Vista project in Delhi is a damn good thing. I believe constructing a new Parliament building was an excellent idea. We needed a new Parliament building. The old one had outlived its utility," he explained.

 

Abdullah emphasised that political parties should abstain from contesting elections if they distrust the voting mechanism.

 

"If you have problems with the EVMs, then you should be consistent in those problems," he noted, adding that the Congress and other opposition parties were “barking up the wrong tree” by fixating on EVMs.

 

After defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Congress raised concerns over EVM reliability and demanded the reintroduction of paper ballots.

 

Abdullah’s comments deepen the rift between the National Conference and the Congress, which was allied during the September Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Privately, NC officials have voiced discontent over what they perceive as the Congress’s lacklustre campaign efforts. Despite this, the NC secured 42 seats in the 90-member Assembly, while the Congress managed just six.

 

Highlighting the need for electoral accountability, Abdullah stated, "One day voters choose you, the next day they don't." Drawing from personal experience, he added, "I never blamed the machines" after his defeat in Lok Sabha polls, contrasting it with his party’s victory in the Assembly elections.