Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule has strongly refuted allegations of electronic voting machine (EVM) rigging, drawing from her own electoral success to defend the system. Speaking in the Lok Sabha amid a fiery debate on election reforms, the Baramati MP declared she has no reason to doubt EVMs, having secured victory four times using the identical machines.​

Sule's pointed response came as opposition voices, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accused the BJP of influencing the Election Commission to manipulate recent poll outcomes. "How can I question EVMs or VVPATs when I've been elected on the same machine?" she remarked, urging critics to present concrete proof rather than unsubstantiated charges. Her stance echoes Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's earlier defense, who highlighted how paper ballots once enabled widespread booth capturing before EVMs were introduced.​

The remarks expose deepening divisions within the INDIA alliance, where NCP-SP, Congress, and Shiv Sena (UBT) are partners. Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit back, reminding the House that Congress pioneered EVMs during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure and celebrated wins with them in 2004—only to question them after 2014 defeats. Sule even advised her party's Baramati candidate against pursuing a recount, prioritizing evidence over speculation.​

EVM controversies have simmered since their nationwide rollout in the 1980s to eliminate fraud like ballot stuffing, bolstered later by Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT). Recent Maharashtra assembly losses have intensified calls from Congress for full paper audits or ballot reversion, though the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the system's integrity. Sule's position adds weight to arguments for transparency measures, such as extended CCTV footage retention and machine-sealed voter lists.​

As India grapples with these debates—mirroring global scrutiny on voting tech seen in U.S. elections—Sule's personal testimony underscores a core issue: trust in democracy demands facts, not just frustration over results. Political observers note this could reshape opposition strategies ahead of future polls.