Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has advocated the use of paper ballots in elections after his devastating loss in recent polls. However, his opponents slammed him while accusing him of hypocrisy citing his own words on the trustworthiness of the EVMs after his win in the 2019 elections.

Reddy has been blaming the EVM for the YSRCP’s defeat in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. On Tuesday, he took to the social media platform ‘X’, suggesting that EVMs can be manipulated. He wrote, “Just as justice should not only be served but should also appear to have been served, so should democracy not only prevail but must appear to be prevalent undoubtedly. In electoral practices across the world in almost every advanced democracy, paper ballots are used, not EVMs. We too must move towards the same in upholding the true spirit of our democracy.”

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NDA leaders immediately slammed the former chief minister for failing to admit his defeat. TDP leader and minister Nara Lokesh was particularly critical, accusing the former chief minister of hypocrisy.

“When you won in 2019 the EVMs worked beautifully. When you lose in 2024 you blame the EVMs. Such hypocrisy. Perhaps you should reflect on your failed tenure and accept that people have rejected you outright,” wrote Lokesh on ‘X’. He also accused Reddy of wrecking democratic institutions and practices. BJP leaders, too, criticised the former chief minister for his dismissal of EVMs.

“Former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s remarks on EVM usage in the election process is unjustifiable as he is trying to create an absolutely fake and false narrative on his defeat. Now he is inviting the ballot by replacing the EVMs after he faced elections in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2019, and 2024, respectively, with EVMs and gave favourable certification,” said Lanka Dinakar, chief spokesperson of the BJP in AP. Dinakar also reminded Reddy of the defeat his party tasted in the MLC elections last year which was conducted with paper ballots.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan met Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Secretariat. Kalyan is yet to take charge of his portfolios. YSRCP leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy convened a meeting with key party leaders and candidates who recently contested in the poll at a meeting at his camp office.