Questioning EVMs is like student blaming pen for failing in exam: Maharashtra CM

Bhandara: Taking a dig at opposition parties for questioning EVMs, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday linked them to a student blaming his pen for failing in an exam.

"Why were EVMs not malfunctioning when Supriya Sule won? They formed governments in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. Why did EVMs not malfunction then? For 10 years, they had governments from Panchayat to Parliament but the EVMs didn't malfunction then," Fadnavis said during a public meeting here.

"We approach voters because we know it is the people who vote for us and make us win. But they (opposition) think that elections are won on the basis of EVMs. That is why they are going to protest against EVM in Maharashtra on 21st... This is like a student sitting in an exam, not knowing answers, not writing anything and flunking the exam. When the father asks him, he says Papa my pen stopped working, so I flunked," he said.

Recently, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray along with Congress, NCP and other parties announced a protest against EVM on August 21.

Fadnavis asked opposition parties to approach people otherwise they won't win a single seat in the Assembly election.

"You had ego problem when you were in power. You don't like to look at the people. That's why people had thrown you out of power. I say they should go and speak to the people and stop questioning EVM. They should seek an apology from the people and ask them to give you a chance. This is how you will win at least 2-4 seats. There is no alternative for you to come to power in the next 15 years," he said.

The Chief Minister is currently on a 'Maha Janadesh Yatra' in the run-up to upcoming Assembly election in the state.