Congress party called for an in-depth investigation into the “discrepancies” observed in several Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the Haryana assembly vote count on Wednesday, urging that these machines be sealed and safeguarded while the probe is conducted.
A group of senior Congress figures, including former Chief Ministers Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Ashok Gehlot, as well as AICC members K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken, Pawan Khera, and Haryana Congress President Udai Bhan, met with Election Commission officials to raise their concerns. Abhishek Singhvi, a senior party leader, participated online.
The delegation submitted a memorandum, highlighting specific complaints from various Haryana constituencies. They reported 20 complaints, including seven written complaints, from different constituencies where EVMs were functioning at 99% battery capacity, while most EVMs operated at 60-70% during the vote count.
The Congress voiced concerns about “serious discrepancies” related to certain EVMs and requested the Election Commission (EC) to launch a formal investigation. Hooda pointed out the surprising results, noting that while the Congress appeared to be winning during the postal ballot count, the trend reversed once EVM votes were tallied. He indicated that more complaints would be submitted in the coming days and added that the EC had promised to investigate the matter.
Khera emphasized that Maken and Singhvi asked the EC to seal the EVMs in question until the investigation is concluded. He also mentioned that the EC assured a written response regarding the constituencies in question after consulting the respective returning officers.
Bhan added that there were widespread doubts about the accuracy of the counting process, especially regarding the use of EVMs with 99% battery capacity, which raised suspicions. The party had also requested that VVPAT slips be matched in several constituencies, which had not been done.
In the memorandum, the Congress stated that fair, transparent, and accountable vote counting is vital to free and fair elections. They requested the EC to take immediate action, investigate the issues, and issue directions based on the findings.
The Congress mentioned that EVMs used on October 8 showed discrepancies, with some machines operating at 99% battery capacity while others at the same polling station ran at lower capacities. They noted that complaints to returning officers were largely ignored and listed several constituencies, including Karnal, Dabwali, Rewari, Panipat City, Hodal (SC), Kalka, and Narnaul, where similar inconsistencies were reported.
The party also alleged that in some constituencies, BJP candidates received support from returning officers and other election officials, urging the EC to investigate potential malpractice.
(With inputs from PTI)