The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), led by former MP Prakash Ambedkar, announced the launch of a statewide agitation in Maharashtra against the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). As part of the first phase of the protest, the VBA will begin a signature campaign on December 3, which will run until December 16, the party stated.
The decision to launch the anti-EVM agitation was made at the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's (VBA) state executive meeting in Pune on Sunday, ten days after the state assembly election results, which saw the ruling Mahayuti alliance securing a landslide majority. The regional party, led by Ambedkar, the grandson of social reformer B.R. Ambedkar, failed to win any seats in the November 20 elections.
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The VBA has warned of intensifying its agitation against the EVMs in a phased manner. The opposition parties' defeat in the Maharashtra polls has reignited the longstanding debate over the credibility and reliability of EVMs, with some BJP rivals calling for a return to traditional ballot papers.