Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has backed party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent criticism of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), calling their use in elections “questionable.”
Addressing the issue while speaking to reporters in Gujarat, Kamal Nath said, “There is no doubt that EVMs are questionable. India is the only country where EVMs are used, no other major democracy uses EVMs.”
His remarks come in the wake of Kharge’s consistent questioning of the credibility of EVMs, a stance the Congress has taken over the past few years, particularly after a string of electoral setbacks. The opposition party has repeatedly raised concerns about the transparency and security of the electronic voting process, demanding greater scrutiny and a return to ballot papers in some instances.
Kamal Nath’s reiteration of the party line further fuels the national debate over electoral reform and the reliability of India’s voting technology. While the Election Commission of India (ECI) has stood by the EVMs, assuring that the machines are tamper-proof and have undergone rigorous testing, the Congress and several other opposition parties have demanded independent verification and paper trail-based audits to ensure voter confidence.
EVMs have been in use in Indian elections since 2000 and were implemented across the country in the 2004 general elections. However, doubts raised by political parties often surface, especially after unfavorable electoral outcomes. Kamal Nath’s comments indicate that the EVM issue will likely remain a key talking point in the lead-up to future polls.
