Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday hit out at the Congress over its allegations against the Election Commission, saying elections cannot be won by repeatedly questioning constitutional institutions and demanding proof of electoral processes.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Sawant alleged that the Congress blames EVMs and the Election Commission whenever it loses elections, while accepting the same electoral system in states where it emerges victorious.
“Whenever they are unable to win elections, they keep levelling allegations against the Election Commission and even against EVMs,” Sawant said.
He referred to elections in Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, claiming that the Congress accepts EVMs in states where it has won but raises questions over their functioning after losing elections.
Sawant also cited Goa’s zilla panchayat elections, which are conducted using ballot papers, to argue that the party’s electoral setbacks cannot be attributed solely to EVMs. He said that the Zilla panchayat elections in Goa were held through ballots but still Congress lost it.
“When the EVM issue does not work, they start making allegations against constitutional institutions,” he said, alleging that such actions were aimed at creating doubts in the minds of voters.
The chief minister’s remarks come amid a wider political controversy over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Sawant said voters whose names had been deleted could use Form 6 for fresh enrolment, asserting that the procedure prescribed by the Election Commission remained available. The official CEO Goa portal lists Form 6 as the application for new registration of electors.
He also defended the Election Commission as an independent constitutional body and said the poll panel’s recent public clarification had addressed the doubts raised over the electoral process.
“The Election Commission is an independent body,” Sawant said, adding that repeatedly levelling allegations against institutions was not appropriate.
The chief minister further said elections could not be won merely through allegations and that political parties needed the trust and support of people and should focus on development.
Sawant also referred to opposition demands for proof following the Balakot air strike and surgical strikes, alleging that the Congress had repeatedly questioned institutions.
