After facing a crashing defeat in the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections, former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has strongly advocated for a return to paper ballots over electronic voting machines (EVMs). Citing concerns over the integrity of the democratic process, Reddy emphasised that this move is crucial for upholding democracy in the state.
In a statement posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed his concerns: "Just as justice should not only be served, but should also appear to have been served, so should democracy not only prevail but must appear to be prevalent undoubtedly." He continued, "In electoral practices across the world in almost every advanced democracy, paper ballots are used, not EVMs. We too must move towards the same in upholding the true spirit of our democracy."
JanaSena Responds
Pawan Kalyan's JanaSena was quick to respond to Reddy's statements. In a tweet, JanaSena remarked, "Jagan about EVMs after winning 2019 elections. All these blame games just to divert things from Rushikonda Palace ??"
Andhra Pradesh Election Results
The recently concluded Assembly elections saw the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) emerge victorious with a commanding lead, securing 135 seats. JanaSena, led by Pawan Kalyan bagged all 21 seats it contested, which propelled it to the second position. The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, suffered a significant setback, managing to win only 11 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to capture 8 seats.
In the Lok Sabha elections, TDP secured 16 seats, YSRCP won 4 seats, and both BJP and JanaSena garnered 2 seats each. The YSRCP faced a united front from the TDP-BJP-JanaSena alliance, contesting the elections alone.