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The Congress party has lodged complaints with the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding alleged irregularities in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the recently concluded Haryana assembly elections. The party claims that discrepancies in the counting process and delays in the results point towards potential manipulation of the EVMs, leading to a surprising outcome that contradicted pre-election surveys and expert predictions.
Congress leaders, led by Bhupinder Hooda, who spearheaded the party's campaign in Haryana, met with ECI officials on Wednesday to submit their grievances. They presented documented complaints from seven assembly constituencies and emphasized that trends initially favored Congress, particularly during the counting of postal ballots. However, the party's lead was reversed when EVM counting commenced, prompting suspicions of irregularities.
Pawan Khera, another Congress leader, expressed dissatisfaction with the ECI's response to their allegations, stating that the officials simply offered 'a good smile and a good cup of tea'. He further highlighted that Congress had submitted written complaints from seven constituencies, with additional complaints from thirteen more constituencies to be presented shortly. The party demanded that the suspect EVMs be secured and sealed pending a thorough investigation.
The Election Commission, however, dismissed Congress's claims of EVM manipulation as baseless and reiterated its commitment to ensuring fair and transparent elections. They also issued a strong-worded letter to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, criticizing party leaders for their remarks questioning the election's integrity and deeming such pronouncements detrimental to the democratic process. The ECI asserted its unwavering commitment to conducting credible elections and investigating any legitimate concerns raised by political parties.
Source: 'Usual good smile, but ... ': Congress on what happened inside EC office over Haryana EVM complains