New Delhi (29.11.2024): There is no unanimity in the Congress if the party should go ahead with “blame-the-EVM” campaign after its back-to-back defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra where the BJP had suffered a major setback in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress leaders are confiding in private that internal surveys carried out in the run-up to the November 20, 2024 elections showed that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had failed to sustain gains made by it during the Lok Sabha elections in June same year in both the states. Ladki Bahin Yojana of the Eknath Shinde government has done the trick for Mahayuti in November 2024 polls.
Moreover, blaming EVM not only suits the central leadership of the Congress but also state leadership and allies including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Survey conducted in in October 2024 showed that the MVA was losing the advantage it got in the Lok Sabha elections. Muslim voters seem to be the only category where the MVA had an edge over the NDA while in other segments, the MVA was behind. In the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had won 13 seats in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena (UBT) 9 and the NCP Sharad Pawar 8. Together the MVA won 30 of the 48 seats. Most interestingly, the Congress managed to win the Lok Sabha by-elections in Nanded held alongside Assembly elections by the same EVM.
The Congress tried to reach out to the soybean farmers, announcing that the MVA, if voted to power, would fix Rs 7,000 per quintal plus bonus for soybean. Now the Congress plans launching a campaign calling for return of paper ballots. The Congress Working Committee, which is meeting Friday, would review the assembly election results and could pass a resolution taking forward its scepticism on EVMs. This despite the fact that the Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections just months ago had suggested a middle path which was acceptable to both EVM sceptics and believers. The manifesto had talked about two sources of trust.
Customary EVM scapegoat for successive electoral defeat
By IndianMandarins - 2024-11-29 16:42:00
New Delhi (29.11.2024): There is no unanimity in the Congress if the party should go ahead with “blame-the-EVM” campaign after its back-to-back defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra where the BJP had suffered a major setback in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress leaders are confiding in private that internal surveys carried out in the run-up to the November 20, 2024 elections showed that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had failed to sustain gains made by it during the Lok Sabha elections in June same year in both the states. Ladki Bahin Yojana of the Eknath Shinde government has done the trick for Mahayuti in November 2024 polls.
Moreover, blaming EVM not only suits the central leadership of the Congress but also state leadership and allies including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Survey conducted in in October 2024 showed that the MVA was losing the advantage it got in the Lok Sabha elections. Muslim voters seem to be the only category where the MVA had an edge over the NDA while in other segments, the MVA was behind. In the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had won 13 seats in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena (UBT) 9 and the NCP Sharad Pawar 8. Together the MVA won 30 of the 48 seats. Most interestingly, the Congress managed to win the Lok Sabha by-elections in Nanded held alongside Assembly elections by the same EVM.
The Congress tried to reach out to the soybean farmers, announcing that the MVA, if voted to power, would fix Rs 7,000 per quintal plus bonus for soybean. Now the Congress plans launching a campaign calling for return of paper ballots. The Congress Working Committee, which is meeting Friday, would review the assembly election results and could pass a resolution taking forward its scepticism on EVMs. This despite the fact that the Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections just months ago had suggested a middle path which was acceptable to both EVM sceptics and believers. The manifesto had talked about two sources of trust.
