The Congress party has raised concerns over the change in National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah’s stance on issues related to the opposition, particularly his recent dismissal of allegations concerning the manipulation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). This criticism follows Abdullah’s comments rejecting the claims raised by the Congress and other opposition parties regarding the integrity of EVMs.
Manickam Tagore, a senior Congress parliamentarian, pointed out that it was not the Congress but other opposition parties like the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (UBT), and Samajwadi Party that had voiced concerns over the EVMs. Tagore responded to Abdullah’s remarks, emphasizing that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution had addressed the Election Commission of India (ECI) directly and had not mentioned any specific criticism of the EVMs. Tagore questioned Abdullah’s changed approach, asking why his position had shifted since becoming the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
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The renewed controversy surrounding EVMs emerged after the recent Maharashtra elections, where veteran politician Sharad Pawar, leader of the NCP, expressed doubts about the results. The NCP, which suffered a significant defeat in the polls, along with other opposition parties like Shiv Sena (UBT) and Samajwadi Party, accused the voting system of being manipulated. These parties claimed that discrepancies in the election process were to blame for their poor performance.
The Congress, in response to these allegations, issued a resolution through its Working Committee, which stated that the results seemed to suggest “targeted manipulation” and raised concerns over the “partisan functioning” of the Election Commission.
Omar Abdullah, while addressing the allegations, defended the EVMs, stating that consistency in questioning their validity was essential. He pointed out that when political parties celebrate EVM results in their favor, they should not then turn around and criticize the machines when the outcomes do not align with their expectations. He further suggested that parties that do not trust the EVM system should refrain from contesting elections altogether.
Abdullah’s party, the National Conference, had contested the October Jammu and Kashmir elections in alliance with the Congress.
