EC won't listen to our concerns over EVMs: NCP leader Nawab Malik
Mumbai, Sep 18: There is no use of raising the EVM-related concerns before the Election Commission as it is not going to listen, NCP leader Nawab Malik said on Wednesday after meeting the poll panel officials over various issues ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls.
The NCP and some other opposition parties in the past raised questions over the veracity of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
"We talked about it (EVMs) verbally. But they are not going to listen to us, then why raise the issue?" Malik, who is the NCP's chief spokesperson, said after meeting the EC officials here, ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra polls.
Malik said his party has also sought that polling be held before Diwali, considering people travel to their native places during the festival time, affecting the voter turnout.
"There is 50 per cent urbanisation in Maharashtra.
People leave for their native places during Diwali. So, polling should be held before Diwali," he said.
He also demanded that the expenditure limit set for a candidate be increased.
At present, the expenditure limit is Rs 25 lakh.
"The Supreme Court had ordered that those facing cases should thrice advertise it in prominent newspapers and channels. Now, this alone causes expenses of Rs 5 to 8 lakh," Malik said.
"There are cases against workers when they protest. We said the EC should bear the expenses or in case it does not, the rates charged (for the advertisement) should be as per (those prescribed by) the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations, and not commercial ones," Malik said.
The former Maharashtra minister said many a times it was observed previously that security personnel were not aware of all the rules pertaining to elections.
Hence, training sessions should be held to ensure the knowledge percolates to their level, he suggested.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
