The Congress on Saturday cited apprehensions about the misuse of electronic voting machines and asserted that the Election Commission should revert to the old practice of paper ballot and slammed BJP’s move for simultaneous elections. The Congress party joined the chorus of the other political parties in demanding the revival of ballot papers.

The political resolution, adopted at the party’s plenary in New Delhi, underscored the need for ensuring free and fair elections to retain people’s faith in the integrity of the electoral system.

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“The EC has the constitutional mandate to ensure free and fair elections. Both the voting and counting process must remain transparent to retain people’s faith in the integrity of the electoral system,” said the party in its political resolution moved at the party’s 84th Plenary Session.

“There are apprehensions among the Political Parties and the people over the misuse of EVMs to manipulate the outcome contrary to the popular verdict. To ensure the credibility of the electoral process, the Election Commission should revert to the old practice of paper ballot, as most major democracies have done,” it said. Electronic voting machines were first introduced in state elections two decades ago.

The Congress also said that the idea of simultaneous election is imcompatible with the Constitution and is impractical and misplaced.

“The BJP’s move for simultaneous elections is misplaced. It is incompatible with the Constitution and is also impractical. It will have serious implications, which must be thoroughly enquired into, and a national consensus built,” the party added.

The Congress resolved to adopt a “pragmatic approach” for cooperation with all like-minded parties and evolve a common workable programme to defeat the BJP-RSS in the 2019 general election.

This indication of a pre-poll tie-up comes in the wake of efforts by the Congress to evolve a consensus among various opposition parties to unitedly take on the might of the BJP.

The Congress today launched a scathing attack on the BJP-RSS, saying the country’s core constitutional values are under attack and freedom of all is in jeopardy, with institutions under stress and their independence compromised.

The party said it was prepared for making sacrifices required to defend the ethos of the Constitution and we will purge the polity of the aberrations witnessed during the BJP regime, which has failed to honour its commitments to the people of India.

(With agencies inputs)