16 opposition parties agree on joint stand on Remote Voting proposal

New Delhi, Jan. 15 (IANS): Sixteen opposition parties gathered for a meet, called by the Congress, here on Sunday to discuss the joint strategy for the meeting convened by the Election Commission on Monday to demonstrate the concept of Remote EVMs for migrant voters.

On the opposition meeting at the Constitution Club, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said: “The participating opposition parties deliberated on the questions to be placed before the EC regarding REVMs. It was decided that the ECI’s response to the questions raised by the parties in tomorrowa’s meeting will be collectively be considered later and the opposition parties will take a joint stand on the issue.”

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He also said that though Samajwadi Party and Nationalist Congress Party were not present in Sunday’s meeting due to unavoidable reasons, they had conveyed their solidarity.

The Election Commission has invited all recognised national and state political parties on January 16 to demonstrate the functioning of the multi-constituency prototype Remote EVM.

With the objective of finding a technological solution for migrant voters which is credible, accessible and acceptable to all stakeholders, the Commission has explored the option of using a modified version of the M3 EVMs to enable voting at remote polling stations, or polling stations outside home constituency, for domestic migrants.

The migrant voters would thus need not travel back to their home district to exercise their right to franchise.