Mumbai : In a press conference held in Mumbai, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar issued a warning, emphasizing the peril faced by the parliamentary system in India. Ambedkar, grandson of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, urged all those opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party-RSS to unite and safeguard democracy in the country.

During the media address following the VBA Core Committee meeting on strategies for the 2024 elections, Ambedkar highlighted the significance of parliamentary democracy, emphasizing its empowerment of the common masses and provision of equal representation to individuals from all walks of life. He stressed that the survival of parliamentary democracy is vital for the existence of political parties and the preservation of people’s power.

Expressing concerns about the potential shift to a presidential system, Ambedkar warned against concentrating power in the hands of a limited few from the upper castes. To prevent this scenario, he called for unity among parties capable of challenging the BJP-RSS, urging them to collaborate in the upcoming 2024 elections for the protection of parliamentary democracy.

Ambedkar also touched upon the alliance with Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Shiv Sena-UBT, headed by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Despite the purported delays in seat-sharing discussions within the MVA, Ambedkar clarified that the VBA cannot engage in seat distribution talks with Shiv Sena-UBT unless initiated by them. He asserted that the decision on seat-sharing now rests with Shiv Sena-UBT, warning that if a resolution is not reached soon, VBA will independently contest all 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.

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In the aftermath of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, former Chief Minister and Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh’s skepticism about the authenticity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) has stirred a political controversy. Singh, also a Rajya Sabha MP, took to his social media account to express concerns, claiming that EVMs fitted with chips could be hacked. He reiterated his opposition to EVM-based elections since 2003, posing a fundamental question about the vulnerability of Indian democracy to professional hackers.

Singh’s social media post was a response to a 2012 media report with the headline ‘BJP blames EVMs for defeat,’ shared by a journalist. Emphasizing that any machine with a chip could be hacked, Singh called on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Supreme Court to defend Indian democracy.

The controversy unfolded two days after the Congress faced significant defeats by the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. Singh’s post is expected to trigger a wider debate on the authenticity of the EVMs used in the elections, building on his previous questions about EVMs.

Simultaneously, Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath cast doubt on the fairness of elections in the state. Following a meeting with party candidates to analyze the defeat, Nath expressed surprise at instances where some candidates received fewer than 50 votes in their villages. He questioned the credibility of exit polls, suggesting they were crafted by those already aware of the election results.

In the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP secured a decisive victory with 163 seats out of the 230-member assembly, while the Congress had to settle for 66 seats. This outcome contradicted exit poll projections of a closely contested battle.

Responding to allegations of EVM hacking by some Congress leaders, Kamal Nath urged caution, stating that conclusions should not be drawn without discussions. Despite expressing surprise at the election results, Nath emphasized that the public mood was in favor of the Congress. He urged reporters to inquire with the people about their sentiments regarding the election outcome.