The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar has raised doubts about the democratic process and the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in India, following the BJP’s assertion that it will secure more than 400 seats in the next Lok Sabha elections. Speaking at a rally in Bhadaura village, Chhattisgarh, he emphasized the need to turn the 2024 Lok Sabha polls into a mass movement to safeguard the Constitution, which he claims the BJP intends to alter to strip citizens of their fundamental rights.
Kumar, campaigning for Congress candidate Devendra Yadav in Bilaspur, questioned how Prime Minister Narendra Modi could predict such a specific electoral outcome, likening him to an astrologer and suggesting that such claims undermine democratic principles. He relayed experiences from his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, where he met voters who supported Congress but saw the BJP win in their constituencies, leading to widespread suspicion and questions about the accuracy of EVMs.
He criticized the BJP’s confident claim of obtaining over 400 seats as not just a campaign strategy but as a form of intimidation, describing it as a display of arrogance and a disregard for the electorate’s choice. Kumar drew historical parallels, referencing the ousting of General Dyer—who was responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre—as a metaphor for defeating what he termed “general kayar (coward),” without specifying an individual.