Debate Intensifies Over Ballot Voting As Congress Challenges EVMs

Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge voice concerns over EVM reliability. Calling election results in Haryana, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra 'unacceptable', they demand a return to ballot papers. BJP MP Sambit Patra defends EVMs, criticizing Congress for questioning their legitimacy.

Amid rising demands for traditional voting methods, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has voiced concerns over the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He urged that the voter slip, dispensed after casting a vote, should be handed to the voters amid 'serious questions' surrounding EVM results in Haryana, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra.

The latest uproar follows the Congress party's significant electoral defeat in Maharashtra, where the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance claimed victory. Baghel and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge have both called for a return to ballot paper voting, alleging voter disenfranchisement among marginalized communities, including SC, ST, and OBC groups.

In response, BJP MP Sambit Patra lambasted the Congress for what he described as baseless allegations against EVMs. He dismissed Kharge's concerns, stating that the electorate has overwhelmingly sidelined the Congress, emphasizing that alleging malfunctions in the EVMs undermines the intelligence and capability of voters, particularly marginalized communities.

(With inputs from agencies.)