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Anti-BJP alliance to demand for withdrawal of EVMs from Lok Sabha elections
Kolkata: Demanding withdrawal of electronic voting machines (EVM) in the coming Lok Sabha elections, 23 anti-BJP parties on Saturday decided to form a four-member committee to prepare a draft on EVM issues to place before the Election Commission (EC), said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“We have agreed to form a four-member committee comprising Satish Mishra, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi to prepare a draft on the EVM issues, which would be brought to the notice of the Election Commission,” Banerjee said, adding that they have also decided to write a letter to the Commission.
Banerjee was speaking after a tea party she hosted for the leaders of 23 opposition parties who had come for a mega rally convened by her here.
Post the anti-BJP rally at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground, they also collectively demanded that the EVMs should have a physical verification system.
“We also aim to go back to ballot system. Since there are just two months left we have at least demanded that 100 per cent EVMs should have the system of paper trails,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters here.
“This is our collective demand for which we will strive from the coming week. There is no way this demand can be denied as we just want to cross-check and if they are fair they should have no problem,” Singhvi said on behalf of all the 23 parties.
Revealing Congress’ strategy for the upcoming polls, Singhvi said: “In order to ensure victory against the BJP, our objective would be to select one strong candidate for every seat.”
Opposition alliance will demand to withdraw EVMs from EC in Lok Sabha elections:
Hailing the unity of opposition, Singhvi said: “This (the Brigade rally) is the beginning and it will gain momentum gradually. All the opposition leaders from different parties coming together is itself a historical event. We will celebrate the victory of 2019 election in this ground,” he further added.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Satish Mishra pointed out there were attempts to “manipulate EVMs”.
“We need to be careful about it. All opposition parties will raise the issues before the Election Commission in order to stop manipulation of EVMs in future,” he said.
Meanwhile, terming the rally as historic and unprecedented, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said: “This is going to transform India. The country is in danger, democracy is under threat and we have to protect it. Unite India is the need of the day.”
At the joint press conference, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh by spreading hatred and quarrel among people on the basis of religion and caste.
“People have realised this and (this time) they will give their reply,” he asserted.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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