Mumbai, Oct 13 Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare on Tuesday criticised opposition parties for questioning the Election Commission’s credibility and raising doubts over EVMs after electoral defeats, saying such an approach was not conducive to democracy.
Noting that the Election Commission is an independent institution, he said its autonomy must be protected.
“Opposition parties may have differences of opinion and different views. However, repeatedly raising questions about independent institutions in this manner is not conducive to democracy,” he told reporters here.
Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is one of the constituents of the Mahayuti alliance.
Referring to the use of EVMs in the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections, when the Congress-led UPA came to power, Tatkare said questions about the machines were being raised after the BJP-led NDA secured victories under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
“What changed in four months? The machines were the same. The only difference was the election result,” he said, referring to the Maharashtra assembly elections held after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Tatkare pointed out that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) did not blame EVMs when it won 31 of 48 seats in Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, whereas the Mahayuti had secured 17 seats.
However, after the Mahayuti secured a decisive victory in the assembly elections, criticism of the electoral process began, he said.
“Blaming others for defeat while claiming credit for victory is a growing tendency among the Opposition. I do not think such an approach is conducive to democracy,” Tatkare added.
Responding to a query, the NCP leader said he had no specific information about allegations of foreign funding to organisations attempting to destabilise the country, adding that the Centre could examine the matter.
“If any external force is attempting to destabilise the country through different means, that would certainly not be in the national interest,” he said.
(PTI News)
