Facing repeated defeats, Oppn finds flaws with EVMs, SIR: BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: A BJP member in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday asked the opposition to introspect instead of questioning the reliability of electronic voting machines and the reason behind holding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Opening the debate on 'Election Reforms' in the Lok Sabha for the BJP, Sanjay Jaiswal also said that despite opposition's claims that his party will benefit most from simultaneous polls, the reality is that it will possibly be the other way round.

But since the BJP's core philosophy is nation first, the party supports holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together, Jaiswal said.

While BJP leaders work overtime during elections, Congress leaders believe in "tourism" and remain "absent" during actual campaigning, the BJP MP from Paschim Champaran, Bihar, said.

He also said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a campaign on "vote chori" ahead of Bihar elections but did not rake up the governance policies of the NDA, which had been ruling the state for years.

Jaiswal claimed the electorate of Bihar was confused about the "vote theft" claims, as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state proved that no eligible voter was left behind.

Urging the opposition to introspect on its strategies, Jaiswal said they instead accuse the SIR and challenge the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs) for their defeat after every election.

Jaiswal also alleged that the actual "vote chori" by the Election Commission took place after the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, as instead of deferring the polls in the constituency he was contesting, voting was cancelled at several places.

The "first vote chori", he said, took place in 1947 when Jawaharlal Nehru was named the prime minister despite the Congress Working Committee (CWC) members backing Vallabhbhai Patel for the post.

Jaiswal also dubbed the Emergency imposed in 1975 as another incidence of vote theft.