BJP Dismisses Congress' Pre-Poll EVM Allegations Amid Upcoming Elections

BJP's spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claims Congress is making pre-poll excuses by blaming EVMs for potential electoral defeat. Dismissing battery level allegations, CEC asserts EVM robustness. Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand are set for November, amidst fierce competition between political alliances.

In response to Congress' latest accusations regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla criticized the opposing party on Wednesday, stating they are preemptively conceding defeat before elections are announced. Speaking to ANI, Poonawalla remarked, "Following successful elections in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana, where voter turnout was high, we welcome the Maharashtra and Jharkhand election date announcements."

Poonawalla accused Congress of concocting pre-election excuses, highlighting their past behavior of blaming EVMs post-election, especially to shield Rahul Gandhi in Haryana. He stressed that the BJP will form governments in both states due to their focus on development and welfare, dismissing Congress' claims that reduce the party's agenda to frivolous network connection concerns involving pagers and EVMs.

Congress alleged that varying EVM battery levels influenced Haryana's recent poll results, where BJP secured a historic win. However, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar refuted these claims, assuring that EVMs are secure and robust, with battery systems unlike mobile devices. Affirming their security, Kumar noted that EVMs rely on a three-tier protection mechanism, ensuring electoral process integrity.

CEC Kumar announced Maharashtra's upcoming assembly elections will occur on November 20 in a single phase, with results tallied on November 23. Key participants in these elections include the Mahayuti Alliance, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition. As for Jharkhand, elections are slated for November 13 and 20, spanning two phases.

(With inputs from agencies.)