Slamming Congress for questioning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the BJP on Wednesday said the politics of the grand old party has been reduced to mere accusations and frustration.

A day after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge demanded the replacement of EVMs with ballot papers, alleging that votes from “SC, ST, OBC, and poor communities are being wasted”, the BJP said the Congress cries foul whenever they lose in any state but has no problem with EVMs when they win elsewhere.

Advertisement

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, BJP MP and national spokesperson Sambit Patra criticised Kharge’s call to reintroduce ballot papers and remove EVMs and also targeted the Congress President over his remark implying that people from backward and poor communities don’t know how to vote through EVMs, calling it offensive and disrespectful.

“Yesterday (26 November) was Constitution Day, and on the occasion of Constitution Day, Mallikarjun Kharge said we have to remove EVMs and bring back ballot papers. Mallikarjun Kharge ji, whether you remove EVMs or not, the public has sidelined the Congress. The Congress has been sidelined in the elections of almost every state. In Maharashtra, it has been completely wiped out. On one hand, the Mahayuti has won a huge victory in Maharashtra, while on the other hand, the Congress has been wiped out,” said the BJP MP.

“I was very surprised that a senior leader like Mallikarjun Kharge ji said yesterday that the votes of SC-ST-OBC and poor people are getting wasted due to EVM. Does Mallikarjun Kharge ji and the people of the Congress party think that the SC-ST-OBC community is so illiterate that they do not know how to vote in EVM? Such thinking of Congress is an insult to the SC-ST-OBC community,” he added further.

Dr Patra said Kharge claimed they would reintroduce ballot papers at any cost and send EVMs back to the residences of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“The Opposition must note that PM Modi already has an “EVM” at his home-“E” for Energy,” V” for Vikas, and “M” for Mehnat,” the BJP MP said

Dr Patra explained that PM Modi’s tireless work, like a machine, is why the BJP keeps winning. While the Opposition blames EVMs, the real reason Congress keeps losing is “RBM”—Rahul’s Bekar Management. The problem isn’t with the machinery; it’s with the leadership.