After getting no relief from either the Election Commission or the Supreme Court on their petitions on the alleged misuse of "doubtful" electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the recent Lok Sabha elections, the opposition parties are gearing up to launch yet another big battle.
While West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday explicitly blamed the EVMs for BJP's stunning victory in Lok Sabha elections and called for use of ballot boxes, the Congress is planning to convene a meeting of the opposition parties to discuss the future course of action on EVMs after the budget session.
"The Lok Sabha election in 2019 is a mystery, not history. We do not want EVMs. We want the ballot box to be brought back," said Banerjee at her Kolkata rally on Sunday accusing BJP of winning the Lok Sabha polls by cheating- using EVMs, CRPF and Election Commission.
Still trying to overcome the shock of a humiliating defeat, the Congress is hoping reciprocity from several opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress, to join the chorus of demanding the restoration of ballot papers in place of electronic voting in future elections. Echoing similar sentiments, Banerjee too has called for use of ballot papers in coming Panchayat and Municipal elections.
The Congress is planning to step up the demand to do away with the EVMs on a grand scale as the party is convinced that manipulated EVMs were solely responsible for such one-sided results.
The parties are also thinking aloud of giving a call to boycott the elections unless ballot papers are restored. The political parties are expected to thrash out this possible option in the upcoming meeting. Several civil rights groups like NAPM and NFF have also given a call to take the battle at the grass-root level from August 9.
"The only reason that may stop us to give a boycott call for EVMs is the lack of unity. It is possible only when all opposition parties come together on a single platform and vouch to boycott elections with EVMs. Any division will lead to advantage BJP and parties will be forced to go back to EVMs," said a senior Congress leader.
