Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress here on Wednesday announced that it will soon launch a massive signature campaign among the masses demanding that future elections should be conducted on ballot paper instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to save democracy.
Maharashtra unit Congress President Nana F. Patole said that nobody believes the results of the recent Maharashtra Assembly polls and “there is a feeling in all quarters that something has seriously gone wrong”.
“The Constitution has given all citizens a right to vote. But now the people suspect that the votes they cast doesn’t go to the intended candidate, but ends up elsewhere. We shall launch the signature drive respecting the sentiments of the masses,” Patole told mediapersons.
The signatures collected from crores of people through the campaign in all districts, cities, towns and villages — shall be submitted to the President, Chief Justice of India, Prime Minister and Election Commission of India for their necessary action.
Patole added that on Tuesday, on the occasion of Constitution Day, Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had announced the launch of a mass movement — on the lines of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s two Bharat Jodo Yatras –demanding ballot paper voting and dumping the EVMs.
“Both the Bharat Jodo Yatras had received tremendous response in Maharashtra. Saving democracy is the responsibility of all the people. The Congress had fought for the country’s Independence, and it was after such public movements that the British Rule ended after 150 years,” said Patole.
He was flanked by top leaders including newly-elected candidates and the defeated nominees like Prithviraj Chavan, Vijay Balasaheb Thorat, Vijay Wadettiwar, M. Arif Naseem Khan, Muzaffar Hussain, Nitin Raut, Aslam Shaikh, Amit Deshmukh, Amin Patel, newly elected MP from Nanded Ravindra Chavan and others.
The Congress has also moved a resolution authorising Kharge to take decisions pertaining to the appointment of Congress Legislative Party Leader, Group Leaders and the Chief Whip in the new house.
Replying to a query on the Supreme Court verdict (on Tuesday) on the EVMs, Patole said that there should have been clarity on the legal provisions when the judgement was given.
He added that it would not be appropriate to comment on the apex court judgement, but pointed out that in a democracy, the people are supreme and the Congress is echoing and highlighting the strong public sentiments against EVMs.
Meanwhile, there were anti-EVM protests by some parties in different parts of the state on Wednesday, with protests seeking re-election in the state.
Similarly, besides the Congress, leaders of several other parties like the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), Communist Party of India (M), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Prahar Janshakti Party and more have demanded a return to the ballot paper voting system.
A group of social activists including lawyer Asim Sarode held a meeting in Pune to review the election outcome and pointed fingers at the EVMs as some defeated leaders from the ruling Shiv Sena are moving the court, questioning the polls results.
(IANS)
