Following a significant setback in the Haryana elections, Congress leaders met with the Election Commission (EC) to file a formal complaint, alleging that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had been hacked. Party spokesman Pawan Khera claimed that tampering occurred across 20 constituencies, with documentary evidence submitted for seven of them. Additional evidence for the remaining 13 seats will be provided within 48 hours, Khera added.
Demand for Sealing EVMs
The Congress has requested that all EVMs used in the election be sealed and secured until a thorough investigation is conducted. Khera mentioned that evidence of hacking was submitted for constituencies like Karnal, Dabwali, Rewari, Panipat City, Hodal, Kalka, and Narnaul.
Concerns Over Fairness of Counting
In their memorandum to the EC, Congress emphasized that the fair and transparent counting of votes is essential to any legitimate electoral process. Former Chief Minister and Congress’s chief ministerial candidate Bhupinder Singh Hooda expressed shock over the election results, stating that everyone had anticipated a Congress victory. He raised concerns about potential tampering, pointing out that Congress typically leads when postal ballots are counted, but sees a decline once EVM votes are tallied.
BJP Wins Third Term, Congress Cries Foul
The Congress secured 37 out of 90 seats in Haryana, trailing behind the BJP, which won 48 seats and claimed a historic third term. As the counting progressed, Congress leaders deemed the results “unacceptable” and attributed them to EVM hacking, sparking mockery from the BJP.
Election Commission’s Response
In response, the Election Commission denied any discrepancies with EVMs. The EC, in a letter addressed to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, criticized Congress’s stance, noting that questioning election results in such a manner undermines the country’s democratic process. The EC also referenced remarks from Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera, calling them “unprecedented” and potentially damaging to the democratic integrity of India.
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