Congress: EVM junk should be promised in Congress manifesto for 2024 Lok Sabha elections,

Doubting the reliability of the EVM, veteran Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Sunday said his party would work on a plan to take the issue to the people and pledge to restore the paper ballot in its manifesto for the 2024 parliamentary elections. Congress has taken a strong stand against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and even pressured the Election Commission to return to the paper ballot.

Chavan, a former chief minister of Maharashtra, raised the issue during a panel discussion on political issues at the three-day ‘Chintan Shibir’. He says many more leaders have supported this view.

Chavan, a member of a group of 23 leaders who wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi demanding organizational reform and reform, thanked the Congress president for organizing the “camp” for “very structured and disciplined” “open and open” talks.

He said winning the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was crucial for the Congress as well as helping to “save democracy”. He said the party would also focus on the 12 state assembly elections before the parliamentary elections as it was essential for the party to win and return to power at the state and center.

“There has been a lot of talk about EVMs and the way the fraud is taking place. It is my personal opinion that even if we appeal to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, nothing will change. There is only one option – we will do it. We have to defeat him and write in our manifesto We will remove the EVM and go back to the paper ballot … there is nothing we can do before, “he told reporters.

“We have to look at state-specific issues because some states have direct battles (between Congress and BJP) and others have other parties. We have to win the assembly elections first. The biggest thing is that we met after Kovid and I thank the party chief for that. Let me know, ”he added.

The Congress leader told the leaders that it was time to give back to the party, adding that he wanted to ensure the victory of the Congress in the state and at the center.

“We have discussed issues that are of concern to the Congress party. The outcome of the talks must be seen by all,” Chavan said, avoiding questions about the Congress’s “soft Hindutva” approach.

When asked if Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was in favor of a soft Hindutva view and if anyone else was opposed to it, Chavan said he did not want to comment on what was discussed inside.

He added, “Every state has a real concern … and the purpose is to bring together people from all over the country and discuss issues.”

Maharashtra leader MNS leader Raj Thackeray has also been accused of trying to polarize the state’s voters and alleging that film actors are being used to humiliate Congress leaders.