We don't want EVMs, we want ballot paper': Kharge after losing Maharashtra

Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of fearing the caste census

Days after the INDIA bloc's defeat in the Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly elections, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated the party's demand to replace electronic voting machines (EVMs) with ballot paper voting.

 

"We don't want EVMs, we want ballot paper," Kharge said while addressing the Samvidhan Rakshak Abhiyan event at Talkatora Stadium, Delhi, as reported by PTI. He also called for a campaign, modelled after the Bharat Jodo Yatra, to push for this change.

 

Mahayuti landslide win in Maharashtra polls

 

In the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory, winning 230 out of 288 seats.

 

The BJP alone claimed 132 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 57 and NCP with 41.

 

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, comprising the Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena (UBT), managed only 46 seats, with the Congress winning a mere 16.

 

PM Modi fears caste census: Kharge

 

Speaking on broader political issues, Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of fearing the caste census and said, "Everyone is demanding their share." He urged the BJP to stop spreading hatred if they truly desire unity in the country.  

"Time should be allotted for that so that the good things about the Constitution can be discussed, and the wrong things that are happening today can also be discussed. Rahul Gandhi ji and I have written letters, we are waiting for the government's response," Kharge told PTI.

 

Kharge criticised those who outwardly praised the Constitution while allegedly working to undermine it. He credited initiatives like the Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, with uniting minorities to counter PM Modi's influence. He also questioned the stability of the current government, calling it a "minority government" reliant on the support of allies like TDP's Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

 

"If anyone withdraws support, this government will fall," he said. 

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena Chief Eknath Shinde has resigned from his position to serve as the caretaker Chief Minister (CM) of the state. The Mahayuti alliance is yet to announce who will be the next CM of Maharashtra. According to ANI, Eknath Shinde, NCP Chief Ajit Pawar, and BJP state leader Devendra Fadnavis are likely to meet BJP President JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the formation of the government in Maharashtra. Reports suggest that the announcement of the new CM will take place in a day or two.