BJP leaders mock opposition for blaming EVMs for defeat in Assembly polls

Following the announcement of Assembly poll results in five states, where some opposition leaders raised concerns about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), BJP leaders on Tuesday ridiculed these claims. They argued that such opposition leaders are merely seeking excuses to deflect attention from their own inadequacies and shortcomings.

As the BJP emerged victorious in three Hindi heartland states  Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the recent round of Assembly polls, several opposition leaders raised questions over electronic voting machines, even as some said they had faith in the EVMs.

Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh slammed the opposition and said they blame EVMs whenever they fail to win elections. There is nothing new. The opposition, whoever it may be, when they win, they are fine with the EVMs, but when they lose, they blame it on the EVMs, he said.

Another BJP leader, S P Singh Baghel, said, With these EVMs, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won elections in Delhi thrice and in Punjab once, the Samajwadi Party (SP) got an absolute majority (in Uttar Pradesh) in 2012, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got an absolute majority (in Uttar Pradesh) in 2007 and the Congress won Telangana.

He used an idiom Naach na jane angan tedha (a bad workman blames his tools) to explain the situation. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Chirag Paswan said the opposition is being repetitive.

There is nothing new, but if you are raising questions in three states, also question the Telangana victory. This is a done-to-death formula. It is repetitive. Why do you go for campaigning if you think the EVMs are manipulated? You do selective criticism in states where you have lost elections. You need to accept and understand your loss, he said.