Nitish backs EVMs, takes dig at ex-ally Cong

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday vociferously backed the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs)   and said critics were scared of defeat.

Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on BJP's victory in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat Assembly elections, Nitish said, "Congress was claiming it would win in Gujarat. However, it lost Himachal too."

Nitish, formerly seen as an arch-rival of Modi, greeted the PM and BJP president Amit Shah over telephone. He also tweeted in Hindi: "Congratulations Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for winning Gujarat and Himachal. Congress, which earlier claimed it would wrest Gujarat, lost Himachal too."

Ever since Nitish dumped the Grand Alliance after deserting RJD and Congress in July this year, he has not missed an opportunity to shower praise on Modi and ridicule his former alliance partners.

Rebuts Cong charge

In another tweet in Hindi, Nitish took a dig at the Congress party for pointing an accusing finger at EVMs. "Electronic voting machines have helped make elections transparent and impartial; those criticising them were doing so out of fear of defeat. Now nobody can deprive anybody the right to cast votes," tweeted Nitish. His observation came against the backdrop of charges levelled by the Congress about EVMs being tampered in Gujarat to favour the BJP.

Nitish, who is also the JD (U) president, now runs his coalition government in Bihar with the support of the BJP and other NDA partners.