This is an archive article published on April 13, 2017
Opposition united against EVM, but divided over its alternative
Former Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said that questioning the efficacy of EVMs amounts to “censuring” the party itself, as the UPA government had introduced these voting machines.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, however, called it Moily’s “personal opinion”, and “not the opinion of Congress party”.
Days after 16 parties approached the Election Commission (EC) and conveyed their apprehension that electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being tampered with, divergence of opinion seems to have emerged in the opposition camp on the alternative. On Wednesday, there were differing views within the Congress itself, with former Law Minister M Veerappa Moily saying that questioning the efficacy of EVMs amounts to “censuring” the party itself, as the UPA government had introduced these voting machines.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, however, called it Moily’s “personal opinion”, and “not the opinion of Congress party”. At a meeting of opposition parties to finalise a draft of the memorandum to be submitted to President Pranab Mukherjee, leaders of BSP and Trinamool Congress are said to have insisted that the opposition should demand a return to paper ballots for future election. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury struck a different note, arguing that the opposition parties have alerted the EC about their apprehension, and it is for the poll panel to convene an all-party meeting now and discuss the issue, sources said.
The CPI(M) is learnt to be against reverting to paper ballots, as the party believes the old system is worse and will revive malpractices such as booth capturing. About the Congress’s opinion on the use of EVMS, a senior party leader said, “We were initially for 50-50 use (half the electorate voting on EVMs, and the remaining on ballot papers) but had we insisted, it would have broken the opposition ranks. Parties such as BSP and TMC would have moved away. So for the sake of opposition unity we agreed that there should be ballot papers until technical integrity and flawless functioning of EVMs are established.”
Calling for “100 per cent paper trail” (voter-verifiable paper audit trail), Yechury said, “The EC had accepted it (VVPAT); the Manmohan Singh government gave the first tranche of money for procuring 20 per cent of the machines; the Supreme Court said it should be made universal. But the Narendra Modi government has not released any money (for VVPATs). That is what makes it suspicious.”
After toeing a different line, Moily went with the Opposition delegation to meet the President and expressed concerns about alleged tampering and malfunctioning of EVMs. He told The Indian Express that the Congress’s stand is not replacing EVMs with paper ballots, and that if there is any complaint against the machines, there is a need to “re-verify and reaffirm sanctity of these machines”.
Asked about the Congress questioning the efficacy of EVMs, Moily said, “Our party did that (introduced EVMs). That means…we will be censuring our own party if you raise that question today.”
Azad, in contrast, said, “The Congress and like-minded parties have come to the conclusion, which perhaps he (Moily) doesn’t know, that there were problems with EVMs.”
Manoj C G currently serves as the Chief of National Political Bureau at The Indian Express. A veteran journalist with a career spanning nearly two decades, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the publication's coverage of India's political landscape.
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The Indian Express (2008 – Present): He joined the organization in 2008 and has risen to lead the National Political Bureau, overseeing key political coverage.
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Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, however, called it Moily’s “personal opinion”, and “not the opinion of Congress party”.
