Cong rejects Haryana poll results, raises doubts about integrity of counting, EVMs
New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday voiced its refusal to accept the Haryana Assembly election results, citing “serious issues” with the counting process and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in several districts. Congress leaders claimed that democracy had been subverted, asserting they would raise the matter with the Election Commission of India (EC).
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated that the election outcome in Haryana was unexpected. “After assessing the situation with our ground workers and collecting all the facts, the party will provide a detailed response. We thank the people of Haryana for their support and urge our workers not to feel disheartened,” Kharge said. At a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters Congress leaders addressed their concerns over what they described as irregularities during the electoral process. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said: “The results in Haryana are shocking and counter-intuitive. The people were clearly demanding change, yet the election outcome does not reflect this reality.”
Ramesh suggested that the results were a victory for manipulation rather than the will of the people, vowing that the chapter on Haryana’s elections was not yet closed. He raised concerns about the EVMs, particularly in districts such as Hisar, Mahendragarh, and Panipat, where Congress had received complaints about malfunctioning machines.
Pawan Khera, head of AICC’s media and publicity department, questioned the integrity of the voting process. He claimed that areas with EVMs showing 99 per cent battery life saw wins for the BJP, while those with lower battery percentages saw Congress victories. “This discrepancy points to a conspiracy,” Khera alleged.
Ramesh confirmed that Congress had already submitted complaints to the Election Commission and was gathering more information from other constituencies. He further noted that Congress would present its findings to the EC soon.
He reiterated that the party would introspect and form a committee to analyse the results. However, he emphasised that “the current results cannot be accepted, given the serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.”
“Ye loktantra ki haar hui hai aur tantra ki jeet hui hai (Democracy has lost and establishment has won),” he said.
