Lagatar24 Desk
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (EC) issued a strongly-worded response on Wednesday to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over the party’s allegations of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering in the recently-concluded Haryana assembly elections. The EC’s letter condemned the statements made by Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh, who termed the election results “unacceptable” and suggested that EVM manipulation had influenced the outcome.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary in charge of communications, claimed that discrepancies were observed in EVMs where Congress had lost, citing an unusual link between battery charge levels of the machines and the party’s results. His statement, along with those of Pawan Khera, implied a conspiracy to tamper with the EVMs to manipulate the results in favor of the BJP.
Election Commission’s Sharp Response
In its rebuttal, the Election Commission called Congress’ statements “unprecedented” and emphasized that such remarks were not in line with democratic principles. The EC underlined that Congress’ rejection of the results moved beyond the bounds of free speech and reflected an undemocratic stance.
“Such an unprecedented statement, unheard of in the rich democratic heritage of the country, is far from a legitimate part of free speech and expression, and moves towards an undemocratic rejection of the will of the people,” the EC wrote, criticizing the Congress’ actions.
The EC further reminded the Congress leadership that the same EVMs were used across all elections, including the ones held in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana, under the same regulatory framework.
Congress’ Allegations and Internal Rift
The Congress party’s reaction to the Haryana election results marks the first instance of a major Indian political party refusing to accept an electoral mandate on claims of EVM tampering. Out of the 90 seats in Haryana, Congress won only 37, while the BJP secured 48, achieving a historic third consecutive term in the state.
Internally, Congress is also facing turmoil, with senior leaders Kumari Selja and Bhupinder Singh Hooda expressing dissatisfaction with the party’s performance. While Selja accused Hooda’s faction of undermining the party, Hooda declared his acceptance of the results “under protest.”
The Congress’ unprecedented rejection of the election results has sparked a wider debate about the credibility of India’s electoral process and the validity of EVM-related concerns. The Election Commission has agreed to meet with a Congress delegation, including Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera, to discuss the party’s complaints at 6 pm on Wednesday.
