Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has openly disagreed with the Congress party’s objections to the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), reinforcing his stance that election results should be accepted regardless of the outcome. His comments, made in an exclusive interview with PTI on Friday, also seem to align with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) defence of EVMs, raising eyebrows within the opposition.
Abdullah pointed out the inconsistency in Congress’s position, noting that when the party benefited from EVM results, it celebrated them as a victory. However, after recent electoral setbacks, such as losses in the Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Congress began questioning the credibility of EVMs. Abdullah stated, “When you get a hundred plus members of Parliament using the same EVMs, and you celebrate that as sort of a victory for your party, you can’t then a few months later turn around and say… we don’t like these EVMs because now the election results aren’t going the way we would like them to.”
When asked if his position resembled that of a BJP spokesman, Abdullah dismissed the comparison, saying, “God forbid!” He further clarified, “No, it’s just that… what’s right is right,” adding that his views were based on principles, not partisan loyalty.
The Chief Minister also expressed his independent thinking on other issues, citing his support for the Central Vista project in Delhi, a position that has garnered significant debate. He argued that the new Parliament building was necessary, as the old one had outlived its usefulness.
Abdullah’s comments added fuel to the simmering tensions between his party, the National Conference (NC), and the Congress. While the two parties were allies in the September Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, NC officials have privately criticized the Congress for not contributing adequately to the campaign. Despite these internal tensions, the NC won 42 seats, while the Congress secured just six.
Abdullah’s remarks on EVMs echoed a broader criticism of opposition parties that, in his view, were quick to blame electoral machinery when results did not favour them. He insisted that parties should be consistent in their criticism of the voting mechanism, stating, “If you have problems with the EVMs, then you should be consistent in those problems.” He pointed out that electoral machines remain the same regardless of whether a party wins or loses.
Reflecting on his own electoral journey, Abdullah shared his experience of facing defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections despite leading his party to victory in the September 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. “One day voters choose you, the next day they don’t,” he said, adding that he had never blamed the machines for his loss.
