Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee has distanced the party from the debate on the reliability of EVMs fuelled by the Congress. The recent walks of Congress regarding EVMs have become more frequent especially after the party suffered losses in Assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra. The party has been questioning the credibility of these election machines as tampered and targeted manipulations in the election process. Banerjee dismissed the allegations as baseless and asked the so-called complainants to present evidence to the Election Commission.
Banerjee called the claims of EVM tampering "random statements" and stated that those questioning the machines should demonstrate how they could be hacked. "If there are concerns about the EVMs, they should show a demonstration to the Election Commission," Banerjee said. He further explained that if proper procedures are followed during EVM randomisation, mock polls, and the counting process, there is no room for allegations of tampering. He emphasized that booth workers are thoroughly involved in verifying the EVMs, which ensures the credibility of the process.
The TMC leader has said that those still harbouring doubts about the possibility of EVM manipulation should report their evidence to the Election Commission or start a movement to air their concerns. "Making random statements does not help address the issue," said Banerjee.
Congress, after the electoral defeats, raised voices questioning the EVM during elections, the last being in Maharashtra. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that the results were incomprehensible, suggesting some manipulation targeted towards that. The party also approached the Election Commission to raise these concerns regarding the poll process in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, meanwhile, criticized Congress for blaming EVMs only when the votes go against it. He said that Congress never expressed concerns about EVMs when they won elections in other states but blamed them when they lost.
The stand of Banerjee finishes with that of another political figure, like Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who rejected the allegations of EVM tampering. Abdullah said that consistency should be maintained: winning with numbers is not acceptable when losing with numbers according to EVM.
