After Cong’s poll debacle in 3 states, Digvijaya raises questions over EVMs

BHOPAL: Congress Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday questioned the reliability of the electronic voting machines (EVMs), following his party’s defeat in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh assembly polls.

Former MP chief minister Singh claimed any machine with a chip can be hacked and also said he has opposed voting by EVMs since 2003.

A state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, however, dismissed Singh’s claims and said the Congress faced defeat because of the failure of its policies, but was finding it convenient to blame the EVMs.

The BJP swept Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh on Sunday inflicting a resounding defeat on the Congress to tighten its stranglehold in the Hindi heartland.

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP bagged 163 of the 230 assembly seats, while the Congress got 66 seats and the Bharat Adivasi Party secured one seat.

In a post on X, Singh said, “Any Machine with a Chip can be hacked. I have opposed voting by EVM since 2003. Can we allow our Indian Democracy to be controlled by Professional Hackers! This is the Fundamental Question which all Political Parties have to address to. Hon ECI and Hon Supreme Court would you please defend our Indian Democracy?” When contacted for a response, Madhya Pradesh BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal while talking to PTI claimed the “Congress has come under the trap of the communist eco-system of ‘tukde-tukde’ gang.” “The truth is that the defeats are the result of failure of Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra, its policies and due to their leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. But they cannot admit it publicly, thus finding it convenient to blame the EVMs. They never want an introspection of their failures,” he said.