2019 LS polls should be conducted using ballot paper: Tewari

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari Monday demanded a return to ballot papers for polling and questioned the Election Commission's "protectiveness" of EVMs despite people "losing" faith in them.

He was speaking at a press conference in Chhattisgarh which will go to polls in two phases on November 12 and November 20.

"The question is not that the EVM (electronic voting machine) is safe or not, but it is whether people of the country have faith in EVMs or not. Trust is the base of democracy. Then you need to have faith in this process," Tewari said.

"Today, people have lost trust in EVMs. The thing we dont understand is why Election Commission is so protective of EVMs," he said, in reply to a query.

Tewari said the ECI was not the only stakeholder in the country's democratic process.

Several political parties have stated the question is not whether an EVM could be tampered with, but that there is a doubt in the minds of the people about them, he added.

"That is enough reason to go back to the ballot paper system in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections," Tewari said.

He attacked the Centre for "looting" the people of the country of Rs 11 lakh crore by imposing taxes on petroleum products.

The prices of petrol, diesel and gas cylinders were at an all-time high and the common man was bearing the brunt of it, Tewari claimed.

Tewari further accused the Centre of selling petrol and diesel at rates cheaper than domestic ones to at least 29 countries.

Replying to a query on whether Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will be projected the party's PM candidate, he said that Gandhi will lead the party's campaign and the PM will be decided post polls.

He accused the BJP of raising the Ram temple issue for political gains, adding that it had done so before every poll in the past 26 years.