Following a significant loss in the Haryana Assembly elections, the Congress party has taken swift action, sending a delegation of senior leaders to the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Delhi to express their concerns about the electoral process. The delegation, which included prominent figures such as KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera, and Ajay Maken, raised serious doubts regarding the counting of votes in several constituencies. Their concerns come in the wake of what the party has described as "unexpected" results, with the BJP securing a commanding victory that defied earlier predictions.
The meeting with the ECI was a crucial step for Congress as it continues to process its defeat. The party has submitted documents related to alleged irregularities in 20 constituencies, claiming that errors in the handling of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) may have played a role in their loss. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, speaking after the meeting, stated that the party had requested the ECI to seal the EVMs in question to preserve the integrity of the evidence while investigations are conducted. Khera indicated that further complaints would be submitted within 48 hours, as the party continues to gather data from an additional 13 constituencies where similar concerns have been raised. Congress leaders have made it clear that they expect a prompt and thorough response from the ECI to address their allegations.
The Election Commission responded to the Congress party's concerns with a letter addressed to Mallikarjun Kharge, the party's president, acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations. The commission noted that the formal complaints and statements from senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, were taken into consideration, and a meeting was scheduled to discuss the party’s grievances. The ECI's letter referenced comments made by Rahul Gandhi in which he described the Haryana election results as "unexpected" and suggested that the party was analyzing the outcome with an eye toward possible irregularities.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier hinted at the potential for EVM malfunctions in a social media post, where he thanked the people of Haryana for their support and expressed his gratitude to the Congress workers who had campaigned tirelessly. In the same post, Gandhi suggested that the party would be raising the issue with the Election Commission, stressing that Congress would continue to fight for justice, truth, and the rights of the people. His message was a clear indication that Congress plans to challenge the election results through both legal and institutional channels, highlighting their suspicion that something went awry during the vote-counting process.
Despite the Congress's strong campaign and hopes to capitalize on anti-incumbency sentiment against the BJP, the election results told a different story. The BJP managed to secure a resounding victory, winning 48 of the 90 seats in the Haryana Assembly, whereas Congress was only able to capture 37 seats. This outcome marked a significant blow to Congress, which had believed that public dissatisfaction with the BJP’s decade-long rule would translate into electoral gains. The Congress party had expected to perform much better, especially given the pre-election atmosphere and exit poll predictions that suggested a closer contest.
The BJP’s success, which went against most projections, has fueled Congress's concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. Senior leaders in the party are questioning how the BJP was able to secure such a decisive win, especially when the pre-election narrative seemed to favor a more competitive result. Congress has now turned its focus on the role of EVMs in the election, with many party members expressing doubts about their reliability.
In response, the BJP has strongly denied any wrongdoing and dismissed Congress's allegations as an attempt to deflect attention from its electoral failure. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva ridiculed the Congress's complaints, calling their post-election behavior a "drama" meant to distract from the reality of their defeat. Sachdeva’s comments reflect the BJP’s confidence in the legitimacy of their win, with party leaders asserting that the results reflected the people’s will, rather than any manipulation of the voting process.
The Election Commission is now under pressure to address the concerns raised by Congress in a manner that ensures transparency and upholds public trust in the electoral system. As Congress continues to file additional complaints and gather more data, the ECI may be compelled to conduct an extensive review of the election procedures, especially in the constituencies that are the subject of complaints. For Congress, this represents a critical juncture—an opportunity to challenge the results and, potentially, regain some political ground, depending on the outcome of any investigations.
This political battle is likely to drag on in the coming weeks, as both parties prepare for the next phase of confrontation. The BJP will continue to defend its victory and frame Congress’s complaints as baseless, while Congress will push for greater scrutiny of the voting process, positioning itself as a party fighting for electoral integrity. The future of this dispute will depend largely on the Election Commission’s response and whether it decides to take further steps to address Congress’s allegations or dismiss them. Either way, this controversy over the Haryana election results has become emblematic of the broader political rivalry between Congress and the BJP, with both parties looking to shape the narrative in the public eye.
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