The BJP on Wednesday said the Congress' crushing defeat in Maharashtra assembly polls was not because of the EVMs but poor management by its leadership, and asked the opposition party’s president Mallikarjun Kharge to consider "replacing" Rahul Gandhi instead of the voting machines.

"Votes of people from SC, ST, OBC, poor communities are being wasted. Set aside EVMs. We do not want EVMs; we want voting on ballot paper...Let them keep the machine at their home, at the home of PM Modi or Amit

Smarting from the crushing loss in Maharashtra, months after the Haryana debacle, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge today protested against the use of voting machines or EVMs and suggested a return to ballot paper.

Days after INDIA bloc's defeat in Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly elections, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said that they don't want EVMs, and demanded ballot paper. “We don't want EVMs,

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called for a campaign to bring back ballot paper voting, arguing that EVMs undermine democracy. He accused PM Modi of fearing a caste census, stating it would lead to demands for fairer distribution.

"We don't want EVMs, we want ballot paper," Kharge said while addressing the Samvidhan Rakshak Abhiyan event at Talkatora Stadium, Delhi, as reported by PTI. He also called for a campaign, modelled after the Bharat Jodo Yatra,

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge called for ballot papers instead of EVMs. He raised concerns about EVM reliability. Kharge blamed EVMs for the Congress's recent election losses. He also criticized the BJP government.

Prominent Congress leaders questioned the EVMs after BJP-led Mahayuti alliance swept the Maharashtra assembly elections.