TV
Deep concerns were expressed by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the last General Elections. On Thursday, he attributed the fall of his 24-year government to EVMs.
“It exactly seems to be pointed in that direction and this must be examined carefully and thoroughly. We do support if paper ballots are back again,” the BJD chief expressed.
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Reacting to this, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Manmohan Samal stated that if the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Patnaik has any specific grievances about EVMs, these should be formally presented to the Election Commission of India (ECI), which is the appropriate body to make decisions on electoral processes.
“Let him (Naveen Patnaik) present his specific views with regard to EVMs. Whatever he has to say may be placed before the appropriate forum. Any political party has the right to present its views before the Election Commission. The ECI will then take its decision, if any, in this regard,” the Odisha BJP chief stated.
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The comments from Odisha BJP chief Samal came in the wake of remarks made by Naveen Patnaik on the occasion of his party’s Foundation Day. Addressing BJD leaders and workers, Patnaik suggested a return to the traditional paper ballot system, signalling his support for phasing out the use of EVMs.
Notably, this call for change reflects the ongoing debates in India about the reliability and transparency of electronic voting methods.
