Election Commission Rebukes Congress for Baseless Election Allegations

The Election Commission of India has dismissed Congress's claims of election irregularities in Haryana as unfounded. Urging the party to avoid baseless allegations, ECI highlighted the involvement of Congress representatives throughout the election process and defended the integrity of EVM functionalities amidst Congress's complaints about battery level discrepancies.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rebuffed allegations by the Congress party of irregularities in the recent Haryana elections, dismissing them as "baseless" and "devoid of facts." Through a letter to the Congress, the ECI urged the party to desist from making unsubstantiated claims post-elections, branding the accusations as habitually unfounded.

ECI cautioned Congress against such grave allegations, especially during polling and counting days, which could potentially incite public disorder. The Commission highlighted five specific incidents from the past year, urging Congress to exercise caution and avoid routine, unfounded criticisms of electoral procedures.

After an extensive review by Returning Officers in all 26 questioned Assembly Constituencies, ECI confirmed to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge that the Haryana electoral process was impeccable with constant oversight by Congress representatives. The ECI underscored the importance of factual representation and provided 1642 pages of documented evidence reflecting Congress's participation at each stage of the election process.

Addressing concerns about the EVM battery display, the ECI clarified that battery voltage does not affect vote-counting functionality. It emphasized that battery indications assist technical teams in ensuring operational durability during polling, refuting any claims of impacting election outcomes as unfounded.

The ECI released a comprehensive FAQ on its website regarding EVM battery operations, clarifying differences in power pack technology compared to mobile batteries and assuring that EVM functionality remains independent of battery levels. The ECI iterated its caution against false allegations, stressing that EVMs have consistently satisfied judicial examinations, forming the cornerstone of India's electoral system.

Citing 42 judgments by Constitutional Courts supporting EVM legitimacy, the ECI reaffirmed India's robust electronic voting system. Following Haryana's election results, senior Congress members, including KC Venugopal and Ajay Maken, expressed their concerns about battery level discrepancies in meetings with ECI officials, demanding further investigation into specific constituency complaints.

(With inputs from agencies.)