Kangana Ranaut Turns Up the Heat in Lok Sabha: Modi Doesn’t Hack EVMs, He Wins Hearts

The Lok Sabha resounded with the harsh words of the opposition when the BJP MP, Bollywood firebrand Kangana Ranaut, attacked the opposition barbs at the electronic voting machines and came off with a spirited defence full of wit, history and a touch of election reform activism. In an electoral reforms overhaul debate that began on December 9, Ranaut swept away allegations of EVM sabotage in one of the most unforgettable statements: Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not vote machines; he wins hearts.

The other session, which was full of accusations on the opposition benches, was led by Congress leaders such as Rahul Gandhi. They claimed the existence of a cosy nexus between the Modi government, the BJP, and the Election Commission of India, which led to the mistrust of the populace in the digital ballot. Gandhi advocated the reversion to paper ballots in future state elections saying that glitches and suspicion had destroyed confidence in the exercise. The call was bold, and the reason behind the thinking was regarding transparency, which has simmered since national elections in recent years.

Never one to be shy of the limelight Ranaut retaliated with her usual dose of sarcasm and straightforwardness. ‘These people are fond of idealising the old ballot days,’ I jested, and her words pierced the murmurs of the room. They would just steal the boxes and then disappear into the night – rigging at its simplest. She created a clear image of what malpractices used to be like in the past and compared it with the current technology-enabled protection and blamed the opposition for having dual standards. ‘Why, why,’ she said, ‘kick up the dust now when they have their own history to look at?’

Her barbs didn’t stop there. Referring to the interventions by Gandhi in recent times, Ranaut ridiculed what she termed as his looping endlessly – preaching khadi threads weaving into cloth – and suddenly shifting gears to a picture of a foreign woman filled on screens. He pinned up that picture without pausing a second, he said, and gave her a tone of incredulity. Even the woman herself has mentioned on more than one occasion that she has never even stepped foot in India, yet there we are, intruding on her privacy in order to make political statements. Ranaut felt it only austere in his cross-party piety to ask Parliament to make a formal apology, taking into consideration the rights of the individual in an age when pictures run quicker than truths.

With the discussion taking its course, Ranaut incorporated wider ideas of the democracy of India. She supported the grand idea, the One Nation, One Election push – a unifying poll to cut the confusion and the expense of simultaneous voting marathons of back-to-back voting. She pointed out that it was a waste of money and lives with frequent elections, and she proved right as MPs started to get fed up with the cycle. This is not efficiency; this is a celebration of democracy, where we vote once and proceed as one. It is a plan that has been popular among political leaders, as it will save billions to the tune and allow governance to breathe between elections.

Demand for reform by the opposition is not new, but the confrontation of yesterday revealed the existing great chasms. Congress cries foul about EVMs breeding suspicion, with single reports of glitches, and requires verifiable paper trails. The government, via critics like Ranaut, responds to these questions that these suspicions are retrogressive and reminiscent of the days when now-insulated ballot papers could not always stop booth-capturing. These exchanges are not so rhetorical as they are about to be with state elections approaching.

The role of Ranaut was classic Kangana – raw, unashamed and totally spellbound. The House has been known to drag on endlessly through procedure, but she served as a reminder to all that politics, at all times, is about reaching people. It is yet to be determined whether her words will make her sceptics change their minds or generate more controversy. But there is one thing certain: in the Indian electoral battle, hearts may be the actual vote-winners.