Mayawati terms LS poll results as 'unprecedented', questions EVMs again
Lucknow: Terming the Lok Sabha poll results as unprecedented, BSP president Mayawati again raised doubts over EVMs on Thursday and indicated that her alliance with the SP and the RLD will continue.
"We had not contemplated that the alliance will fare so badly. People are not able to digest the poll results. It is against their sentiment and aspirations," she said.
Pointing fingers towards electronic voting machines (EVMs), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo said, "Several shortcomings of conducting elections through EVMs have come to our notice and there is opposition to EVMs all over the country."
She added that after this results, whatever confidence people had in EVMs will disappear.
"When all parties are demanding that elections be conducted through ballot papers, why are the BJP and the Election Commission (EC) not agreeing to it? This means there is something wrong somewhere," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.
She alleged that though the opposition alliance had won some seats in the state, it was done purposely as part of a planning to show that there was nothing wrong with EVMs.
"There are some seats that we have won but they have been left as part of a planning to show that nothing wrong has been done with the EVMs. But at most of the places, there had been tampering of EVMs," Mayawati said.
Pointing out that the country had seen many changes in its political history, she said, "Representation of Dalits and the deprived sections has increased over the years, but the ruling BJP has totally hijacked it through the EVMs."
Asking why the demand of the opposition parties as regards EVMs was not being accepted in the wider interest of democracy, Mayawati said, "This goes on to bolster the doubt that something is wrong in the poll process. The Supreme Court needs to look at (the option of conducting) elections through ballot papers seriously."
She claimed that even though people were not satisfied with EVMs, they had to use the machines for exercising their franchise. The BSP president also called for including the right to vote under the fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
She said the country was sadly watching how people in high positions bowed before those in power.
Indicating that her party's tie-up with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will continue, Mayawati said the future course of action will be decided in consultation with the alliance partners as well as other parties who were at the receiving end.
She thanked the alliance partners, especially SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and RLD president Ajit Singh, for working honestly to ensure the victory of the coalition candidates.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
