'Just Because We Won Karnataka, Himachal...': Congress' Pawan Khera Questions EVMs

New Delhi: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Tuesday said his party's questions with regard to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) continue in spite of its victories in the Assembly elections in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. He also said that the concerns of Congress with regard to EVMs include tallying of VVPATs with the results, the allegedly missing machines and the faulty machines and the SOPs not being followed on the faulty machines which recently came to light.

"Just because we won Karnataka and Himachal does not mean that our questions on EVMs do not remain," Pawan Khera told a news conference.

He also spoke on a decision on the appointment of the new Chief Minister of Karnataka and said it will be known in a day or two.

Khera told reporters that the views of the newly-elected Karnataka MLAs have been elicited and the central leadership is seized of the matter. Noting that the post of Leader of Opposition is equally important in every state, he sought to know when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will appoint the LoP in Karnataka.

"Appointing a Chief Minister is not an easy thing. It cannot be imposed from Delhi... Everybody's view has to be taken into consideration. We have to engage with every stakeholder and then decide who the chief minister will be," he said.

On Congress' manifesto in Karnataka talking about a ban on Bajrang Dal and whether any investigation would be initiated, he said action would be taken if any organisation is found spreading hatred.

Asked if there would be any alliance with ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana for the 2024 Parliamentary elections, he said Telangana is one of the states where the Congress would take on the regional parties 'head on' and defeat them. Similarly, the Congress cannot think of an alliance with AAP in Punjab, he added.

Asked about dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot's yatra in Rajasthan, Khera said the party would act upon the report of its Rajasthan in-charge who has taken the views of party leaders in that state.

He said there are more than one competent leader in the party in different states, including Rajasthan, and that only one leader becomes the Chief Minister. The other leaders too have hopes and ambitions, he added.

"The party has a mechanism. Every party would have and our party also has. We have our 'prabhari' there. Randhawa saab is our 'prabhari' there. The report that he gives after speaking to all, we will act upon that report," the Congress leader stated.