A large number of civil rights groups including National Alliance for People's Movement (NAPM) and Nation for Farmers (NFF) along with several political parties have decided to launch a nationwide people's movement on August 9 to reject Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and bring back paper ballot in elections.
"We will be starting it on the eve of Quit India movement with the slogan "EVM Bharat Chhodo, Ballot Paper Vapis Lao," said Dr. Sunilam, convenor of NAPM.
The two-day meeting participated by representatives of political parties discussed the shocking 2019 elections results that paled even the election results of 1977 when anger was at its height against the Indira Gandhi government.
TMC’s protest
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| During the on going Budget Session Trinamool Congress MPs have been holding protests against the use of EVMs and party has also discussed during debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address |
"Ram Vilas Paswan had won the elections with highest margin of 3 lakh votes. But in 2019 elections, it became a norm. Little known candidates won by margins of more than 4 to 6 lakh votes. This is not possible without EVM being compromised. Even the BJP was wary of it prior to 2014 and brought a book on it," said Uday Narayan Choudhary, former speaker of Bihar assembly who left JDU in 2018.
The representatives of political parties like Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samjawadi Party, Congress said it would be better if the civil rights groups take the initiative as their joining the cause will give a handle to the BJP to make it a political issue.
"We have done our best by petitioning the election commission and the Supreme Court. But both have rejected our arguments despite ample evidence. The constitutional machinery is powerless and the only way is to build people's pressure," said Sanjay Singh of AAP.
The EVM Virodhi Rashtriya Jan Andolan or Anti EVM national People's movement also launched a website www.evmhatao.org on Sunday where people can record their evidence and give suggestions.
