Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has waded into a row over the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and advocated a return to the ballot paper system to instil confidence among the voters.
Jagan’s remarks, expressing doubts over the efficacy of the voting machines, came in the backdrop of a surprise verdict in the Haryana assembly elections. The BJP pulled off a hattrick win, contrary to a near-unanimous exit poll prediction that the Congress would come to power.
Jagan likened the Haryana poll outcome to the Andhra Pradesh mandate in June this year, when his party was decimated by the NDA alliance comprising the Telugu Desam Party, Jana Sena, and BJP. He and his party leaders have alleged that the EVMs could have been manipulated to ensure the victory of the NDA candidates.
“Yet another election result confounds popular perception. Haryana election result is no different from Andhra Pradesh, on which cases are pending in courts. In a democracy like ours, democracy should not only be prevalent but also be seen to be thriving. The only way to ensure both, is going back to Paper Ballot,” Jagan tweeted.
He further said: “When a large majority of developed countries including the United States, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, France, Japan, Norway and Denmark are using paper ballot, it is time we make changes with rest of the world and move towards paper ballot, which in turn would enhance the confidence of the electorate. The lawmakers should come forward to instil confidence.”
In the historic win, the NDA alliance bagged 164 assembly seats in the 175-member assembly and 21 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats.
Ironically, Jagan had mocked the critics of EVMs soon after the 2019 assembly elections when his party got a landslide victory, bagging 151 assembly and 21 LS seats.
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