Omar Abdullah Critiques Congress EVM Doubts: A Call for Electoral Integrity
‘When You Get 100 MPs, You Celebrate…’ Omar Abdullah Slams Congress Over EVM Charge
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has criticized the Congress party’s recent objections to Electronic voting Machines (EVMs), echoing the BJP’s stance that parties shouldn’t question the system only when they lose.
Abdullah, in an exclusive interview with PTI on Friday, pointed out the inconsistency in the Congress’s position. “When you get a hundred plus members of Parliament using the same EVMs, and you celebrate that as sort of a victory for your party, you can’t then a few months later turn around and say… we don’t like these EVMs because now the election results aren’t going the way we would like them to,” he said.
While acknowledging that his stance might sound similar to the BJP’s, Abdullah insisted he was speaking based on principle, not partisan loyalty. He cited his support for infrastructure projects like the Central Vista as an example of his independent thinking.
“Contrary to what everybody else believes, I think that what’s happening with this Central Vista project in Delhi is a damn good thing. I believe constructing a new Parliament building was an excellent idea. We needed a new Parliament building. The old one had outlived its utility,” he stated.
Abdullah emphasized that parties should not contest elections if they lack trust in the voting mechanism.”If you have problems with the EVMs, then you should be consistent in those problems,” he said, directly addressing the Congress party’s focus on EVMs following their losses in the Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls.
The Congress has demanded a return to the paper ballot, expressing doubts about the EVMs’ infallibility and the election outcome.
Abdullah’s comments add to the growing friction between his National Conference party and the Congress, their alliance partner during the September Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. NC officials have privately expressed dissatisfaction with the Congress’s campaign efforts, claiming they left the heavy lifting to the NC. despite this, the NC secured 42 seats in the 90-member Assembly, while the Congress won only six.
The Chief Minister stressed that electoral machines remain constant irrespective of the election outcome and should not be used as a scapegoat for defeat.”One day voters choose you, the next day they don’t,” he said, citing his own experience of losing the Lok Sabha polls while winning a majority in the September assembly polls. “I never blamed the machines,” he added.
omar Abdullah Slams Congress Over EVM Charge: ‘Celebrate With EVMs, Then Blame Them?’
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has launched a scathing attack on the Congress party’s recent objections to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), accusing the party of double standards.
In an exclusive interview with PTI, Abdullah highlighted the inconsistency in the Congress’s stance, pointing to past instances where the party emerged victorious in elections using the same EVMs.
“When you get a hundred plus members of Parliament using the same EVMs, and you celebrate that as sort of a victory for your party, you can’t then a few months later turn around and say… we don’t like these EVMs because now the election results aren’t going the way we would like them to,” Abdullah stated.
While acknowledging that his viewpoint might align with that of the BJP, Abdullah insisted his criticism stemmed from principle, not party loyalty. He cited his support for infrastructure projects like the Central Vista as evidence of his independent thinking.
“Contrary to what everybody else believes, I think what’s happening with this Central Vista project in Delhi is a damn good thing. I believe constructing a new Parliament building was an excellent idea. We needed a new Parliament building. The old one had outlived its utility,” he emphasized.
Abdullah stressed that parties should not contest elections if they lack faith in the voting mechanism. “If you have problems with the EVMs,then you should be consistent in those problems,” he directed at the Congress,which has been demanding a return to the paper ballot following its losses in the Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls.
The Chief minister’s comments have added fuel to the already simmering tensions between his National conference (NC) party and the Congress, their alliance partners during the September Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Even though the NC secured 42 seats in the 90-member Assembly, compared to the Congress’s meagre six, NC officials have privately voiced dissatisfaction with the Congress’s campaign efforts.
Abdullah underscored that the electoral machines remain unchanged regardless of the election outcome and should not be used as an excuse for defeat. “One day voters choose you, the next day they don’t,” he said, citing his own experience of losing the Lok Sabha polls while securing a majority in the September assembly polls. “I never blamed the machines,” he added.