New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has resolved to launch a nationwide campaign against what it terms a “compromised electoral process” in India. This decision follows the party’s recent setbacks in the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections, which the CWC attributes to institutional bias and widespread electoral malpractices.
While the resolution strongly criticises the perceived partisan functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), internal discussions within the CWC revealed some hesitation towards directly attacking the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Although a consensus exists regarding the ECI’s alleged bias, there was debate regarding the focus and strategy of the upcoming campaign. “CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of EC… Congress will take up these public concerns as a national movement,” a resolution said.
The Congress has already formally lodged complaints with the ECI regarding alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra elections. The party pointed to a dramatic surge in voter turnout in the final hour of polling, resulting in an additional 76 lakh votes.
They also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance manipulated voter lists, leading to a suspicious increase of 47 lakh voters in the five months following the Lok Sabha elections. The party demanded an immediate in-person hearing with the ECI and a thorough investigation into these claims, strategically avoiding direct accusations against the EVMs themselves.
Despite this measured approach in the official complaint, internal discussions revealed diverse opinions on addressing EVM concerns. Some members, including Abhishek Singhvi, advocated for a complete phase-out of EVMs. However, he also suggested a more gradual approach, proposing that 100% VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) matching or at least a 10% random VVPAT check be implemented until EVMs are eventually replaced.
Other leaders, such as Ajay Maken, Rajiv Shukla, and Gaurav Gogoi, supported this approach, emphasizing that the central issue is the perceived bias of the ECI. Rahul Gandhi reportedly touched upon EVM concerns but ultimately framed the core issue as the ECI’s functioning.
Conversely, Shashi Tharoor advised caution, suggesting that focusing solely on EVMs might not resonate widely with the public. Maken raised the practical question of how Congress would participate in future elections if it continued to express strong doubts about the integrity of the voting machines.
