Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Maharashtra Assembly elections through a "fraud" unlike any seen before, and strongly advocated for a return to ballot paper voting. Speaking at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session held on the banks of the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad, Kharge criticised the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and accused the ruling party of eroding democracy through calculated manipulation.

According to PTI, Kharge stated that while the rest of the world is gradually moving back to ballot paper to preserve electoral integrity, India continues to rely on EVMs, which he labelled as instruments of fraud that unfairly benefit the ruling party. He insisted that the youth of the country would eventually demand change and reclaim ballot-based voting systems.