In order to unite all opposition parties against ruling BJP- Shiv Sena in the upcoming assembly elections, former MP and farmer leader Raju Shetti will be launching a public movement against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in collaboration with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.
Shetti, a two-term MP (2009 and 2014) from Hatkanangale told the DNA, "We are trying to ensure that all political forces, be it the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), MNS and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and the Left must join hands." Raju Shetti faced defeat from his constituency to Shiv Sena's Dhairyasheel Mane. "We are ready to contest between 50 to 60 seats on our own. However, we will decide our stance based on how things move forth with the alliance," Shetti told the leading daily.
Shetti, who attributed his defeat to factors like the use of EVMs, said in his recent meeting with MNS chief Raj Thackeray, he had discussed the possibility of approaching the courts or launching a public movement against the use of EVMs. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on July 8 met Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and demanded that the Assembly polls in the state, due later this year, be conducted through paper ballots instead of Electronic Voting Machines.
In his visit to the national capital, the first in more than a decade, Thackeray said he has submitted a letter to the Election Commission, demanding it to switch back to the traditional paper ballot. He termed the meeting "mere formality". Thackeray also met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi here that raised quite a few eyebrows in political circles. Sonia and Thackrey reportedly discussed political developments including the issue of EVMs over which opposition parties have demanded going back to paper ballots in elections.
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