No Demonstration of Remote EVMs As Opposition Questions Need, Wants Consensus

The poll panel has decided to extend the date to submit written responses to February 28 from the earlier January 31.

New Delhi: The Election Commission did not demonstrate the concept of Remote EVMs or Remote Voting Machines (RVMs) for migrant voters to the representatives of political parties on Monday (January 16) after opposition parties demanded more time to discuss the issue.

The EC had invited eight national parties and 57 recognised state parties for a demonstration on Monday. However, many parties opposed the concept, saying that they are not convinced about the need for remote voting. The poll panel has decided to extend the date to submit written responses to February 28 from the earlier January 31.

In a meeting held on Sunday, 16 opposition parties – led by the Congress – had decided to jointly oppose the proposal.

According to The Hindu, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said after attending the EC’s meeting that no opposition party “wants to see the demonstration of an RVM”. There should first be consensus on having such a machine, he said.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh said his party also opposes the proposal. He suggested that if the government wants to encourage migrant workers to vote, there should be three holidays for election. Singh added that free buses and trains could also be provided to encourage voting.

The National Conference’s representative Shammi Oberoi told the poll panel that while the government is “concerned about facilitating domestic migrants to exercise their voting rights”, there remains uncertainty over assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that “1.4 crore people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to remain deprived of exercising their democratic rights”.

Opposition parties questioned need

The 16 opposition parties which took a joint stand on the EC’s announcements had said on Sunday that they would oppose the decision to install RVMs. “It was decided that the ECI’s response to the questions raised by the parties in tomorrow’s meeting will be collectively be considered later and the opposition parties will take a joint stand on the issue,” a statement from the Congress, which convened the opposition parties’ meeting, said on Sunday.

“The overall view of all political parties who attended today, unanimously opposed the proposal of Remote Voting Machine because it is still very sketchy, the proposal is not concrete. There are huge political anomalies and problems in the proposal. The definition of migrant labour and the numbers of migrant labour are all not very clear. We have unanimously made up our minds to oppose the proposal of RVM,” Digvijay Singh said at a press conference after the meeting.

The EC had earlier said that RVMs would be a game-changer for migrant workers.

“Many a times migrants are reluctant to get themselves enrolled at their place of work for various reasons such as frequently changing residences, not enough social and emotional connect with the issues of area of migration, unwillingness to get their name deleted in an electoral roll of their home or native constituencies as they have permanent residence or property,” the poll panel had said.