Opposition will step up agitation, demand fresh elections using ballot paper: Kharge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has announced that the Opposition will intensify protests against the Election Commission of India. They are demanding a return to paper ballots, alleging that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were manipulated during recent elections.
Why it matters
The challenge to the integrity of the electoral process by a major political party signals significant instability and polarization in the Indian democratic system.
Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday that the Opposition will step up agitation against the Election Commission of India and demand fresh elections using ballot papers in States where elections were held post SIR process.
Mr. Kharge described the Narendra Modi-led Union government as an “illegal government” and demanded that it go, alleging that the democratic and constitutional rights of people were being undermined.
Speaking to media representatives at his residence in Kalaburagi, Mr. Kharge said the Opposition had chalked out a six-point programme to intensify its campaign against the Election Commission and to protect the voting rights of citizens.
He levelled allegations concerning the functioning of the Election Commission and the conduct of recent elections. He alleged that there had been attempts to influence the criteria relating to voters and claimed that EVMs had been manipulated.
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