It’s not EVMs that are tampered, it’s the exclusive club that’s under threat


Perhaps because of its stunning diversity across the country’s length and breadth, India’s electorate tends to surprise many of us fairly often, with its collective decision. The unprecedented mandate given to the Congress in the Lok Sabha election of 1984 comes to mind. Another one was the shock defeat of BJP and NDA in the 2004 election. The clear majority it awarded BJP in 2014 too was entirely unexpected. The near clean sweep by AAP in the most recent Delhi assembly election was nothing short of shocking. The BJP too probably performed better collectively in the recently concluded assembly elections that most observers expected.

There have been unconvincing protests by losing parties in the past on the unreliability of using electronic voting machines. BJP too has raised this issue a few years ago, which barely received publicity.

However, what we have witnessed in the last few weeks after BJP’s impressive performance is unprecedented. There are accusations of tampering of EVMs by the central govt, thereby ensuring its victory in the assembly elections. The accusers – the usual suspects of India’s present Opposition – have not furnished any proof but have received a generous amount of media attention, once again, from the usual suspects in the media.

A matter closely related to these throaty protests is the rise of Narendra Modi from Chief Minister to Prime Minister. Shell-shocked as his political enemies were at the 282 seats BJP secured in Lok Sabha, the winning spree has continued over these years, apart from clear losses in Delhi, Bihar and Punjab. It is widely known that over the decades, a cosy ecosystem of Congress, Left and “liberals” has evolved into a powerful and exclusive club. They have been the masters of independant India for much of its history, securing long term positions of power and privilege for themselves. And then came this man from well beyond the outer bounds of the exclusive club and occupied the most privileged address in Lutyen’s Delhi. Unlike most members of the exclusive club, he is proudly Hindi-speaking, practices and promotes Yoga, doesn’t drink and is a vegetarian. To make matters worse, he openly declares he’ll fight corruption and the black money economy. And slowly but steadily, he lives up to his words. He even gets over 400 unauthorised occupants of govt bungalows in Delhi evicted. It just doesn’t stop getting worse for the exclusive club!

It is evident that Congress, its regional clones and its friends in the Left are trying to make Narendra Modi a one term Prime Minister, as if their lives depend on it. Most certainly their livelihoods and lifestyles do! That EVMs have been tampered is just one of the many crazy accusations the exclusive club has flung at him and his govt over the last three years, each one amplified by “compliant” sections of the media. And this time, like in the past, they’re OK making India pay a price, as long as they can make it harder and harder for this govt to realise its vision. Some members of the Opposition, including from the Congress, are even demanding that India return to using ballot papers. India’s first Prime Minister, also from the Congress, envisioned “temples of modern India”, the foundation of which was Science and Technology. His daughter as Prime Minister too promoted Technology, as did her son. Yet, seventy years after Independance, they want to discard Technology and revert to using ballot papers! And we’re talking Lok Sabha, assembly and municipal elections here. Do they even understand the economic and environmental cost of their demand?

It is tragicomic that members of the Congress went to the extent of meeting the President of India to register their complaint against “EVM tampering”. It’s embarrassing that one of them was Dr Manmohan Singh. The basis for their complaint are accusations by the likes of the Chief Minister of Delhi (an indication of whose credibility the upcoming municipal elections of Delhi will give) and Mayawati, who’s party suffered a humiliating defeat in the recently concluded assembly election.


It is good to note that the Election Commission is confident of its stand that their EVMs, supported by the election process, cannot be tampered with, and has invited anyone to prove the tampering. Now it’s up to the Opposition to get credible experts and prove their rants right.

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