Kamal Nath Questions 50 Votes on Poll Show, Digvijaya Singh Raises EVM Allegations

Former MLAs in Madhya Pradesh have complained that they did not receive even 50 votes in their villages, according to Congress leader Kamal Nath. He expressed surprise over the election results but stopped short of alleging electoral malpractices. Another prominent leader from Madhya Pradesh, Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, questioned the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs), stating that “any machine with a chip can be hacked.”
These remarks come after the BJP won the elections in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, while the Congress found consolation in its lone victory in Telangana. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP secured 163 seats in the 230-member assembly, with the Congress winning only 66 seats. This outcome contradicted the exit poll projections that predicted a close fight.
Kamal Nath, who led the Congress campaign, stated that he will hold discussions with party candidates, both winners and losers, to analyze the reasons behind the party’s poor performance. When asked about allegations of EVM hacking by some Congress leaders, Nath stated that it would be premature to draw conclusions without first holding discussions. However, he expressed surprise at the election results, emphasizing that the public mood seemed to be in favor of the Congress. He cited instances where MLAs claimed they did not receive 50 votes in their villages, questioning the possibility of such a scenario.
Earlier, Nath accepted the public mandate and stated that the Congress would fulfill its responsibility as the Opposition. However, sources have revealed that Nath has been asked to step down as Madhya Pradesh Congress chief due to the disappointing result. The Congress had been confident that anti-incumbency against the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government would bring them to power. However, their overconfidence was evident when posters congratulating Nath appeared in Bhopal before the poll results were announced.
The state Congress strategy has faced criticism following the poor performance. The party held fewer rallies and their campaign seemed lackluster. Nath’s handling of Congress’ allies in the INDIA bloc has also come under scrutiny. His reluctance during seat-sharing talks and remarks about Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav led to the allies contesting separately, resulting in a division of votes that benefited the BJP.
Meanwhile, Digvijaya Singh reignited the debate on the reliability of EVMs, stating that he has opposed this voting practice since 2003. He raised concerns about the vulnerability of machines with chips and questioned whether Indian democracy should be controlled by professional hackers. He called upon the Election Commission of India and the Supreme Court to defend Indian democracy.