 |
|
The Congress party, dissatisfied with the Election Commission of India's (ECI) dismissal of its allegations of irregularities in the Haryana Assembly election vote count, has accused the ECI of bias and threatened legal action. The party's concerns stem from discrepancies observed in the battery levels of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the counting process. They claim that EVMs displaying high battery levels correlated with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victories, while those with lower battery levels corresponded to Congress wins. This pattern, according to the Congress, raised suspicions of manipulation.
The ECI, in response to the Congress delegation's October 9 meeting and subsequent complaints, rejected the allegations as baseless. The ECI asserted that the EVMs function independently, with battery levels fluctuating due to normal usage and not indicative of any manipulation. However, the Congress, in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, expressed disappointment with the ECI's response, deeming it generic and dismissive of their specific concerns. The party criticized the ECI for failing to provide a detailed clarification on the battery inconsistencies and instead focusing on the machines' general functionality.
The Congress letter further criticized the ECI's tone and language, perceiving it as condescending and lacking neutrality. They highlighted the ECI's tendency to attack individual leaders and the party as a whole, stating that such a style is unacceptable from a body entrusted with upholding the integrity of elections. The party threatened to seek legal redress if the ECI persists in this conduct, referencing their previous unsuccessful attempt to silence a high court's critical observations. The Congress's dissatisfaction with the ECI's response is indicative of the growing distrust in the electoral process and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the handling of election-related concerns.
The ECI, while maintaining its stance on the absence of evidence for manipulation, acknowledged receiving the Congress letter and pointed to the lack of election petitions by Congress candidates as a sign of acceptance of the results. The Congress, however, insists that the ECI's rejection of their concerns fails to address the core issue of EVM battery discrepancies and its potential impact on the election outcome. This ongoing dispute underscores the complexities and challenges in ensuring the integrity of elections, particularly in a digital age where the reliance on technology is growing.