'Surgical strike' will happen on PM govt on issues like Rafale, jobs and demonetisation: Rahul
Mohua Chatterjee | TNN | Feb 1, 2019, 21:16 IST
NEW DELHI: Opposition parties will demand VVPATs to be used in all the polling booths across the country for the general elections in 2019, Rahul Gandhi said today.
The opposition will also urge that at least 50% of the VVPATs to be counted physically or tallied with the electronic voting machines (EVMs), it is learnt.
The decision was unanimously taken at a meeting of 21 Opposition parties.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi announced, after the meeting, that the parties will jointly approach the Election Commission on Monday, to suggest for the upcoming polls.
The opposition parties also identified three big issues to be raised for election campaigning. “We have had a good, productive meeting. All parties have agreed to discuss in detail three issues -- two central and one structural -- jobs, agriculture and attack on institutions. We are going to meet regularly and also talk to experts and find solutions to these problems,” Rahul said, addressing the media.
“The (general) elections will be about jobs, agriculture, attack on institutions, and corruption by the Prime Minister in the Rafale deal,” the Congress chief said.
Asked about the Budget being hailed as a “surgical strike”, Gandhi said, “surgical strikes will happen on Mr Modi one after the other over the next two months on issues such as Rafale, jobs and demonetisation. We don’t have dearth of issues,” Rahul said.
Speaking on behalf of all the leaders present, Gandhi said opposition parties will meet election commission officials on Monday over concerns about EVM tampering. “On EVMs, we have put together a document that we will present to the EC on Monday and make some suggestions.”
“The main issue is that the EVMs have created doubts in people’s minds about fair elections, so we want to talk about a backup system to ensure free and fair elections,” he added.
Apart from Gandhi, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, SP's Ram Gopal Yadav, BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra, DMK's Kanimozhi, TMC's Derek O'Brien, CPI's D Raja, CPM's Md Salim and TK Rangarajan, Manoj Jha of RJD, AAP's Sanjay Singh and RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary were present in the meeting.
Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and AK Antony, Danish Ali of JDS and Sharad Yadav were also present.
The opposition will also urge that at least 50% of the VVPATs to be counted physically or tallied with the electronic voting machines (EVMs), it is learnt.
The decision was unanimously taken at a meeting of 21 Opposition parties.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi announced, after the meeting, that the parties will jointly approach the Election Commission on Monday, to suggest for the upcoming polls.
The opposition parties also identified three big issues to be raised for election campaigning. “We have had a good, productive meeting. All parties have agreed to discuss in detail three issues -- two central and one structural -- jobs, agriculture and attack on institutions. We are going to meet regularly and also talk to experts and find solutions to these problems,” Rahul said, addressing the media.
“The (general) elections will be about jobs, agriculture, attack on institutions, and corruption by the Prime Minister in the Rafale deal,” the Congress chief said.
Asked about the Budget being hailed as a “surgical strike”, Gandhi said, “surgical strikes will happen on Mr Modi one after the other over the next two months on issues such as Rafale, jobs and demonetisation. We don’t have dearth of issues,” Rahul said.
Speaking on behalf of all the leaders present, Gandhi said opposition parties will meet election commission officials on Monday over concerns about EVM tampering. “On EVMs, we have put together a document that we will present to the EC on Monday and make some suggestions.”
“The main issue is that the EVMs have created doubts in people’s minds about fair elections, so we want to talk about a backup system to ensure free and fair elections,” he added.
Apart from Gandhi, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, SP's Ram Gopal Yadav, BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra, DMK's Kanimozhi, TMC's Derek O'Brien, CPI's D Raja, CPM's Md Salim and TK Rangarajan, Manoj Jha of RJD, AAP's Sanjay Singh and RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary were present in the meeting.
Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and AK Antony, Danish Ali of JDS and Sharad Yadav were also present.
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