Congress questions Haryana election results, alleges counting irregularities and manipulation
PTC News Desk: The results of the Haryana Assembly election delivered a major shock to the Congress party, which had been confident of a win based on early leads and exit polls. As the BJP surged ahead, eventually securing a majority, Congress expressed its inability to accept the results, alleging manipulation and procedural issues.
Earlier in the day, the Congress had written to the Election Commission, complaining of delays in updating the election results. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote that the "unexplained slowdown" in the vote counting process could fuel narratives that undermined the credibility of the elections. He stated that bad-faith actors could exploit these narratives to influence the counting still underway at various centers.
The Election Commission dismissed these allegations, asserting that the process was transparent, with results updated every five minutes. "We unequivocally reject your attempt to give credence to irresponsible, unfounded, and uncorroborated narratives," the poll body responded.
At a press conference later in the day, Jairam Ramesh expressed his dismay at the election outcome, calling it "totally unexpected" and "counter-intuitive" given the Congress’s initial lead and the general sentiment for change in Haryana. "The results announced today are a victory for manipulation, not for democracy," Ramesh declared, adding that the Congress could not accept the outcome.
He cited complaints regarding the functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and alleged irregularities in the counting process in several districts. "We’ve received serious complaints from at least three districts—Hisar, Mahendragarh, and Panipat—about issues with EVMs and counting anomalies. More complaints are coming in, and we’ll present this evidence to the Election Commission soon."
Regarding questions about whether the Congress should introspect on its performance—given that 16 sitting MLAs lost in Haryana and the party only secured a win in Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the National Conference—Ramesh said that introspection would happen later. For now, the focus was on how "victory has been snatched from us" due to alleged misuse of the system.
The Congress also raised concerns about battery inconsistencies in EVMs. Senior leader Pawan Khera pointed to discrepancies in the voting machines’ battery levels, claiming that machines with a higher battery percentage had results that disproportionately favored the BJP. "We aren’t saying all machines are faulty, but the ones that have raised doubts, especially in districts like Narnaul, where complaints came in even before the final results, need investigation," Khera said. He accused the BJP of exerting undue pressure on local administrative officials, especially in areas with narrow margins of victory.
On the other hand, the BJP dismissed the allegations as baseless. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had anticipated that the Congress would resort to blaming EVMs if they lost. "The people will give their answer on October 8, and the Congress will say it’s because of faulty EVMs," Saini had stated, echoing the party's confidence that the BJP would win a third consecutive term in the state.
With the BJP securing a clear majority, the Congress’s grievances have added a layer of controversy to the election results. The party’s next steps are likely to involve further appeals to the Election Commission, and potentially legal action, as they continue to question the integrity of the electoral process in Haryana.
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- With inputs from agencies
