Thu Nov 28 09:17:28 UTC 2024: ## BJP Slams Congress Over Repeated EVM Complaints After Maharashtra Win
**New Delhi, Nov 29, 2024** – The BJP has sharply criticized the Congress for its repeated allegations of EVM manipulation following the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The party highlighted the fact that the same EVMs, which the Congress claims are rigged in favor of the BJP, also delivered a resounding win for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Wayanad bypoll.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the BJP used the Wayanad victory as a counterpoint to the Congress’s consistent claims of EVM tampering after electoral defeats in states like Maharashtra and Haryana. The post, accompanied by images of Rahul Gandhi celebrating his sister’s win and juxtaposed with images of EVMs, sarcastically noted that the Congress only complains about EVMs when they lose, implying their grievances are politically motivated rather than based on evidence.
This latest salvo follows a day after the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), staged an anti-EVM protest. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge even demanded a return to ballot papers, echoing similar calls made after the Haryana elections. He suggested a nationwide campaign to advocate for this change.
The BJP’s response follows similar rebuttals from the party after the Haryana election results, where the Congress, after an unexpected loss despite pre-election polls predicting a win, also accused the BJP of manipulating the EVMs. The Election Commission itself has strongly criticized the Congress and other parties for making baseless allegations after unfavorable election results.
The Supreme Court has also dismissed multiple petitions seeking a return to paper ballots, emphasizing that accusations of EVM tampering are unsubstantiated and should not be based solely on electoral outcomes. Devendra Fadnavis, expected to be named Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a third term, further highlighted the inconsistency in the Congress’s claims by pointing to the JMM-Congress win in Jharkhand, suggesting that the elections there were deemed “fair.”
The ongoing debate over EVM reliability continues to dominate the political landscape, with the opposition parties repeatedly accusing the BJP of manipulating election results through technological means, accusations consistently denied by the BJP and dismissed by the judiciary.
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