As the Election Commission (EC) of India has announced the dates for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections, a senior Congress leader has raised concerns over the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Maharashtra assembly elections will be held in a single phase on November 20, and the votes will be counted on November 23. Jharkhand polls will be held in two phases, on November 13 and November 20, and the result will be declared on November 23.
Triggering a fresh controversy, Congress leader Rashid Alvi has cast doubts on the EVMs. “If Israel can allegedly target individuals using pagers and walkie-talkies, what does that imply for the security of EVMs?” Alvi asked.
He further suggested that the upcoming elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand should be conducted using paper ballots instead of EVMs.
Alvi’s statement assumes significance as it was made on the day the election schedules for Maharashtra and Jharkhand were announced.
“In Maharashtra, the…