New Delhi, Amid concerns raised by opposition parties over EVMs of various opposition parties, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said it is possible that the country have to go back to the polls.
In an interview with senior editors of , the CPI(ML) Liberation leader also expressed concern over the alleged "saffronization" of education and the "scam" in the stock market driven by exit polls.
Highlighting his concerns over the conduct of the 2024 general elections and electronic voting machines (EVMs), Bhattacharya said the opposition had sought 100 per cent counting of the VVPAT in the elections, but it was rejected by the Supreme Court. The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is an independent vote verification system that allows the voter to see if their vote was cast correctly.
The VVPAT generates a paper slip that the voter can view and the paper slip is kept in a sealed cover and can be opened in case of a dispute.
However, all votes recorded in the EVMs are not cross-checked with the VVPAT: ballot papers from five randomly selected polling stations per constituency are compared with the EVM count."The Election Commission also disagreed. So "I think now, at the end of the day, this country will probably have to go back to the polls... That's my personal feeling," he said.
Bhattacharya said this is the stance of his party, which is shared by many other parties, but added that he cannot be too sure about all the parties in the country.
"This has nothing to do with the election results. Usually, these BJP people say that this is a loser's argument. Every time we lose an election, we talk about EVM. That is not the case. After all, "Elections are about transparency and people's trust." "So what's the point of having an elaborate electoral exercise that people don't really fully trust?" he said.
The CPI(ML) Liberation leader said the demands are likely to grow as the Election Commission fails to offer "compelling explanations".
"They are almost so reluctant, so economical with their answers... So I hope that maybe in the next few days it will become a major issue and we will have a transition back to the polls," he said. When asked what that may be the way forward, he said: "I think it has to be a kind of popular uprising. Because if the system doesn't respond, how do you do it? There are times when people make themselves heard in ways that the system has to respond eventually." , he claimed.
"If people firmly believe that the elections have been rigged, you can think of a popular uprising in the country. In a democracy, I think it is not a bad idea," he said.
When asked if ballots could bring back the era of booth capture, he said this is called "booth" capture and not "ballot" capture. "I don't think it has anything to do with ballots." or the actual technique or method of voting," he said.
Commenting on the recent irregularities in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and cancellation of examinations, he said that centralization of examinations is a bad idea.
"I think all these things that start with 'one'... are terribly disastrous and bad ideas. Whether it's 'one nation, one election,' one language, one party, one leader, one exam.' These are all bad ideas." .And if you try to impose these ideas, then things like this will happen, the system will be rigged," he said. He also said that there have been attempts to saffron elections since the Atal Bihari Vajpayee era.
"Saffronization has been happening since the Vajpayee era, or even before. That is the core agenda of the BJP and the RSS, to control minds, to influence the academic environment, the literary environment of the country and the media," he said. saying.
"Beyond saffron, what is actually happening is a complete privatization, and I will call it 'elitisation' of education. So once again, people are being denied the education, which Ambedkar thought would be a tool of social justice and mobility. It is the only thing that can bring any tangible improvement in people's lives, short of a radical redistribution of land or wealth," he said. About the current controversy around exit polls. and allegations of a stock market scam, Bhattacharya said they support the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee, and the issue will be raised by the INDIA block in Parliament.
"It is unthinkable, unheard of. The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary are advising people to buy shares. Our Prime Minister, an exam warrior, continues to give advice to students. I think it is unsolicited advice, and the students would be better off without that advice.
"Similarly, investors would be better off without this kind of advice, which borders on insider trading and violates SEBI norms," he added.
In an interview with senior editors of , the CPI(ML) Liberation leader also expressed concern over the alleged "saffronization" of education and the "scam" in the stock market driven by exit polls.
Highlighting his concerns over the conduct of the 2024 general elections and electronic voting machines (EVMs), Bhattacharya said the opposition had sought 100 per cent counting of the VVPAT in the elections, but it was rejected by the Supreme Court. The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is an independent vote verification system that allows the voter to see if their vote was cast correctly.
The VVPAT generates a paper slip that the voter can view and the paper slip is kept in a sealed cover and can be opened in case of a dispute.
However, all votes recorded in the EVMs are not cross-checked with the VVPAT: ballot papers from five randomly selected polling stations per constituency are compared with the EVM count."The Election Commission also disagreed. So "I think now, at the end of the day, this country will probably have to go back to the polls... That's my personal feeling," he said.
Bhattacharya said this is the stance of his party, which is shared by many other parties, but added that he cannot be too sure about all the parties in the country.
"This has nothing to do with the election results. Usually, these BJP people say that this is a loser's argument. Every time we lose an election, we talk about EVM. That is not the case. After all, "Elections are about transparency and people's trust." "So what's the point of having an elaborate electoral exercise that people don't really fully trust?" he said.
The CPI(ML) Liberation leader said the demands are likely to grow as the Election Commission fails to offer "compelling explanations".
"They are almost so reluctant, so economical with their answers... So I hope that maybe in the next few days it will become a major issue and we will have a transition back to the polls," he said. When asked what that may be the way forward, he said: "I think it has to be a kind of popular uprising. Because if the system doesn't respond, how do you do it? There are times when people make themselves heard in ways that the system has to respond eventually." , he claimed.
"If people firmly believe that the elections have been rigged, you can think of a popular uprising in the country. In a democracy, I think it is not a bad idea," he said.
When asked if ballots could bring back the era of booth capture, he said this is called "booth" capture and not "ballot" capture. "I don't think it has anything to do with ballots." or the actual technique or method of voting," he said.
Commenting on the recent irregularities in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and cancellation of examinations, he said that centralization of examinations is a bad idea.
"I think all these things that start with 'one'... are terribly disastrous and bad ideas. Whether it's 'one nation, one election,' one language, one party, one leader, one exam.' These are all bad ideas." .And if you try to impose these ideas, then things like this will happen, the system will be rigged," he said. He also said that there have been attempts to saffron elections since the Atal Bihari Vajpayee era.
"Saffronization has been happening since the Vajpayee era, or even before. That is the core agenda of the BJP and the RSS, to control minds, to influence the academic environment, the literary environment of the country and the media," he said. saying.
"Beyond saffron, what is actually happening is a complete privatization, and I will call it 'elitisation' of education. So once again, people are being denied the education, which Ambedkar thought would be a tool of social justice and mobility. It is the only thing that can bring any tangible improvement in people's lives, short of a radical redistribution of land or wealth," he said. About the current controversy around exit polls. and allegations of a stock market scam, Bhattacharya said they support the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee, and the issue will be raised by the INDIA block in Parliament.
"It is unthinkable, unheard of. The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary are advising people to buy shares. Our Prime Minister, an exam warrior, continues to give advice to students. I think it is unsolicited advice, and the students would be better off without that advice.
"Similarly, investors would be better off without this kind of advice, which borders on insider trading and violates SEBI norms," he added.
