Opposition leaders will meet at the residence of Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar on Thursday, March 23, to discuss doubts about the “efficacy of electronic voting machines (EVM).”
Party sources have informed The New Indian that the NCP chief of Floor Leaders has called for the meeting, and representatives from the opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha have been invited. The meeting is scheduled to take place in the evening.
According to sources, the meeting will focus on the concerns raised by opposition parties regarding the efficacy of EVMs. The meeting will include all political parties that have doubts about the efficacy of electronic voting machines.
Several opposition parties have expressed concerns about voting through EVMs. The meeting will see the participation of opposition leaders from the Rajya Sabha “who have doubts about the efficacy of the EVM.”
In January 2023, 11 opposition parties, including the NCP, raised their voices and alleged that EVMs were being misused.
On March 12, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Rajiv Kumar, stated that despite people’s trust in the commission, the “Agnipariskha” is given every time after each election. “In the last 70 years, India has resolved its social, cultural, political, geographical, economic, and linguistic issues peacefully through dialogue, mainly because of its established democracy. And it is possible only because people trust election results,” said the CEC in Bengaluru before the state goes to polls.
“This is in stark contrast to recent events in many developed countries,” added the CEC.
Although the invitation has been extended to all opposition leaders in the Rajya Sabha, it is yet to be seen which parties will attend the meeting.