Battle 2024
Ahead of battle 2024, INDIA allies to discuss EVM, VVPAT on Dec 19
The fourth meeting of the INDIA partners is scheduled to be held in Delhi on December 19. Sources said that one of the key issues to be discussed at this meeting will be the reliability of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and need for increased tallying of the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) to ensure that the votes go to the correct candidate. The defeat of Congress in the three states, especially in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, has revived allegations of EVM tampering. The opposition parties are likely to adopt a resolution asking the Election Commission of India to address the doubts over EVMs by increasing the number of polling booths per assembly constituency where VVPATs are tallied with the votes recorded in the EVMs. VVPATs are paper slips that are printed as soon as a vote is cast indicating the candidate in whose favour the vote is recorded. As per the Election Commission’s latest order, VVPAT slips of five randomly selected polling booths are tallied with the votes recorded in the EVMs in every assembly constituency. A petition was filed in the Supreme Court earlier this year by the Association for Democratic Reforms seeking direction to tally the VVPAT slips of not just five polling booths per assembly constituency but all the VVPAT slips with the votes recorded in the EVM. It sought 100 per cent counting of VVPAT slips. The Elections Commission had opposed the demand by saying that counting all the slips would take the election process back to the ballot system. The opposition parties are now likely to ask the Election Commission to increase the tallying in more than five booths.
AICC Reconstitution
Cong may bring Gehlot, Baghel to centre
The Congress central leadership is mulling a proposal to induct two former chief ministers Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel into its central organisational setup. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to reconstitute the All India Congress Committee this month. The reshuffle will include changing AICC general secretaries, secretaries and chairmen of departments and cells. According to sources, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is keen on relinquishing the charge of Uttar Pradesh. Bhupesh Baghel is likely to succeed her. The talk of his shift to centre gained credence with the party nominating former assembly Speaker Charandas Mahant as the leader of opposition in the Chhattisgarh assembly in spite of the fact that Baghel is also an MLA. Baghel belongs to the prominent Kurmi community of the OBC, which constitutes a sizable population in Uttar Pradesh and votes largely in favour of the BJP in that state. Sources said the Congress has big plans for Uttar Pradesh. It includes fielding Kharge for the Lok Sabha from the state. The party plans to focus on the Dalit, OBC and Muslim votes. Gehlot, too, is likely to be given charge of an important state to prepare the party for the Lok Sabha election in 2024.