Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called for a mass movement to revive ballot papers in elections, echoing concerns over the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Speaking at the Constitution Day event at Delhi's Talkatora Stadium, Kharge asserted, "We don?t want EVMs, we want ballot paper," urging the party to launch a campaign similar to the "Bharat Jodo Yatra."

The call comes in the wake of allegations of "selective EVM hacking" following the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance?s landslide victory in Maharashtra, where they won 230 out of 288 assembly seats. Congress leader and Maharashtra observer G Parameshwara claimed, "We analysed the Maharashtra poll outcome deeply. We felt that in many places EVMs were manipulated." He added that selective tampering is designed to evade detection.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole echoed these concerns, saying, "Public sentiment says that we give our vote to X, but it is being marked in the name of Y. Except for a mass movement, there is no other way to address this issue."

The Supreme Court, however, dismissed a public interest litigation seeking the reintroduction of ballot papers, remarking, "When you lose, EVMs are tampered with; when you win, EVMs are fine." The bench also noted that similar claims were made by political leaders in the past but were never raised when they emerged victorious.

Kharge?s push for ballot papers signals a renewed effort by the Congress to rally public support around electoral integrity, a move that is likely to spark further debate on the future of voting technology in India.