NEW DELHI: Opposition parties on Thursday decided to approach the Election Commission to voice concern over the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for conducting elections.
They expressed particular concern over EC’s plans to allow remote voting for migrant voters.
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar convened the meeting of leaders of opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha.
The meeting was attended, among others, by Congress leader Digvijay Singh, independent Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav, Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) member Anil Desai and BRS member K Keshav Rao.
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Briefing the media about the meeting, Digvijay Singh said opposition parties had unanimously rejected the Election Commission plans on deployment of remote EVMs to allow migrant voters exercise their franchise.
Sibal said no other country uses EVMs for elections, then why should the machines be used in India.
Sibal and Singh, however, ducked questions on whether they doubted the electoral victories of opposition parties where EVMs were deployed for the conduct of polls.
Digvijay Singh said Citizens Commission on Elections chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Madan Lokur had raised doubts about EVMs and petitioned the Election Commission but had received no response from the Commission.
Notably, there was no representative from Trinamool Congress at the meeting.