Haryana polls: Congress files complaints with EC over EVM tampering allegations

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) The Congress party, on Wednesday, lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission, alleging discrepancies in the battery strengths of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the Haryana elections.

According to the party, these inconsistencies may have affected the election results.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera stated that complaints from 20 constituencies have been submitted to the Election Commission (EC), with seven documented in writing.

The party has demanded that all EVMs be sealed and secured until a thorough investigation is completed, he said.

Khera further added that additional complaints are being collected and will be submitted in the next 48 hours.

The Congress party claims that EVMs with a 99 per cent battery charge showed results favouring the BJP, while those with lower battery levels (60-70 per cent) showed Congress victories.

The Election Commission has assured Congress that it will review the complaints and investigate the alleged tampering.

Senior Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Udai Bhan Singh, Pawan Khera, K.C. Venugopal, Ashok Gehlot, and Ajay Maken and others, met with EC officials on Wednesday to present the party’s concerns.

The party had on Tuesday, on the day of the election results, had raised doubts over the Haryana poll results and called it unacceptable.

Expressing disbelief, the party claimed that the results contradicted public sentiment and ground realities.

The ruling BJP on Tuesday crossed the majority mark in Haryana by winning 48 seats, a rise from 40 seats in 2019 in the 90-member Assembly. However, the Congress could win only 37 seats in the state.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had also said that the Haryana result was a surprise.

He said, the party is assessing the public opinion. “After talking to our ground workers, getting complete information and verifying the facts, a detailed response will come from the party,” he had said.

–IANS

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