Minister Venkaiah Naidu took a dig at other parties complaining about Electronic Voting Machines, or EVMs
Taking a dig at political rivals for claiming that the voting machines used in the recently-held UP polls were faulty, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has said that some people are attributing the electoral losses to EVMs or "Every Vote Modi". He said the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance and the Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP lost in Uttar Pradesh because of a "shift in thinking" of the people who want good governance and development, and that the BJP could deliver on that front.
"People want greater opportunities, awareness and living conditions. Inspite of so much propaganda, you see what happened in Uttar Pradesh... Some people have attributed it (the losses) to EVMs. Now there is a new dimension added to EVMs. EVM is 'Every Vote Modi'. You press any button, vote goes to Modi," he said jokingly.
Mr Naidu, who is the Information and Broadcasting, wondered that if Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were indeed manipulated, then why did the Congress win in Punjab and AAP in Delhi. "If it is so (manipulation of EVMs), why did it not happen in Punjab? Why did it not happen to Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi?," he asked.
Mr Naidu was addressing the valedictory session of the Conference on Communicating India in New Delhi. He said communication is a critical factor in the governance agenda and has become the most important aspect in the country's development. He said there is a "new hunger" in the younger generation and they are no longer impressed by sloganeering, provocations, or fundamentalist approach. "They want development and to be a part of the development story. They want fruits of development to reach them. So, there is a new hunger. That hunger is making politicians and political parties change their agenda," he said.
Mr Naidu also credited former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee for starting the growth story. "He brought air, rail, rural highways, IT, ports and also political connectivity by bringing together a number of political parties. Considerable development started during the Vajpayee regime," he said.
He also appreciated Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Suresh Prabhu for using social media to connect with the people and solving their problems.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extensively uses Twitter to communicate his thoughts and ideas and also uses the radio for his 'Mann ki Baat' programme to reach out to the people.