As Congress struggles across states, Himachal CM raises EVM hacking concerns, BJP hits back, calling it a diversion from electoral setbacks
Shimla: In the aftermath of the latest assembly election results that dealt a blow to the Congress in multiple states, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday stirred a fresh controversy by claiming that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) could be “hacked by anyone from anywhere.”
Speaking at the Secretariat complex in Shimla, Sukhu revisited the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, stating that the unusually low vote share of around 20 percent for Congress in Himachal Pradesh had raised doubts even then. He suggested that the functioning of EVMs warranted scrutiny, asserting that questions around their credibility were not new.
The Chief Minister also launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing it of misusing central investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He alleged that these institutions were being used “as party cadres” to influence political outcomes, marking what he described as a shift in the country’s democratic functioning after 2014.
Sukhu further claimed that elections under BJP rule involve tactics ranging from persuasion to coercion—methods he said the Congress has never adopted. Referring to West Bengal, he said the Congress contested all seats independently for the first time in two decades and that he personally witnessed public resentment against the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Despite the party’s poor showing, he expressed confidence that Congress would eventually emerge as a strong alternative in the state.
However, Sukhu’s remarks come at a time when the Congress is grappling with a series of electoral setbacks. In Assam, the party slipped below 20 seats with less than 30 percent vote share. In West Bengal, it managed to lead in just 2 out of 294 seats, securing barely over 3 percent votes—one of its weakest performances in the state. Kerala offered some relief, where the party held ground with 63 seats in the 126-member assembly and around 28 percent vote share in a multi-cornered contest.
Political observers see a pattern in the renewed EVM debate surfacing after electoral losses.
The BJP was quick to respond, accusing Congress leaders of attempting to deflect attention from their declining political relevance. Party leaders said repeated allegations about EVMs reflect an unwillingness to accept electoral verdicts rather than any proven flaw in the system.
The controversy over EVMs is not new in Indian politics, but its revival amid Congress’s weakening performance across states adds a sharper political edge. As the party looks to regroup, the debate raises a larger question—whether introspection within party ranks will take precedence, or if the focus will remain on questioning the electoral mechanism itself.
