Archive · 10 Oct 2026
BJP’s Hemant Khandelwal Defends Election Commission and EVMs
Hemant Khandelwal, a leader of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, spoke to reporters in Aalirajpur.
He said the Election Commission is an important constitutional institution.
He criticized Congress for blaming the commission and questioning elections.
He also defended electronic voting machines, called EVMs.
Khandelwal said voter lists should be checked regularly so that some incorrect names can be removed.
He said small disagreements among local BJP members were normal and that they were working together.
Reporters also asked him about allegations of a one-crore-rupee bribe involving an official who had worked for Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda.
Khandelwal confused Devda’s job title in his answer.
The official had been removed from the post, and Devda had ordered an inquiry.
BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal criticized Congress for questioning the Election Commission and electoral process.
At a Saturday press conference in Aalirajpur, Khandelwal defended Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Khandelwal said voter rolls need periodic revisions to remove deceased voters, foreign citizens, and duplicate registrations.
He rejected Congress’s criticism of EVMs and questioned the party’s leadership.
Asked about an alleged Rs 1 crore bribery case involving an officer formerly serving as Jagdish Devda’s OSD, Khandelwal misstated Devda’s office; the officer was removed and Devda ordered an inquiry.
- Who
- BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal; Congress and the Election Commission were also discussed.
- What
- Khandelwal criticized Congress’s election-related criticism, defended the Election Commission and EVMs, and addressed local party unity and a bribery allegation involving a former aide to Jagdish Devda.
- When
- Saturday; the article does not give a date.
- Where
- BJP district office in Aalirajpur, Madhya Pradesh.
- Why
- Khandelwal said Congress was blaming the Election Commission for electoral defeats and defended voter-roll revisions and EVMs.
Congress criticism
Khandelwal’s defense
Election Commission and electoral process
Congress criticism
Congress has criticized the Election Commission and the electoral process, according to the article.
Khandelwal’s defense
Khandelwal defended the commission as a constitutional institution and accused Congress of blaming it for electoral defeats.
EVMs and voter rolls
Congress criticism
Khandelwal said Congress criticized EVMs; the article does not provide Congress’s specific arguments.
Khandelwal’s defense
Khandelwal rejected the criticism and said voter rolls require periodic revision to remove specified inaccurate or ineligible entries.
- Speaker
- Hemant Khandelwal, BJP state president
- Location
- BJP district office, Aalirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
- Election official defended
- Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
- Voter-roll changes cited
- Removal of deceased voters, foreign citizens, and people registered in multiple places
- Bribery allegation
- An alleged Rs 1 crore case linked to an officer who served as Jagdish Devda’s OSD
- Inquiry
- Jagdish Devda ordered an inquiry and said the officer was not his OSD when the alleged transaction occurred
- Officer’s status
- Removed from the OSD post on Friday after the allegations surfaced