'Generic': Congress slams ECI's 'condescending non-reply' to Haryana poll complaints
The Congress Party has slammed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its reply to allegations of irregularities in the Haryana assembly elections. The party called the ECI's reply "generic" and "condescending," accusing it of not addressing specific complaints. It said that the poll body had "given a clean chit to itself" and shared a "generic non-reply" intended largely at dismissing the concerns and petitioners.
Congress accuses ECI of undermining its neutrality
In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, the Congress said, "Not surprisingly, the ECI has given a clean chit to itself...If the current ECI's goal is to strip itself of the last vestiges of neutrality, then it is doing a remarkable job at creating that impression." The Congress also argued the ECI's communications were undermining its neutrality. Instead, its replies seem to "be laced with ad-hominem attacks on either individual leaders or the party itself," the party added.
Read full reply to ECI here
Congress highlights specific complaints, alleges bias
The Congress emphasized that their complaints were specific and pertained to problems from the announcement of Model Code of Conduct to the end of elections. They alleged many problems come to light only after results are declared, and need to be redressed timely by the ECI. The party also noted that despite over a hundred complaints against the prime minister and home minister, "zero complaint" was taken by the ECI.
ECI dismisses Congress's allegations as 'baseless'
Earlier, the ECI had rejected Congress's allegations of irregularities in the Haryana polls as "baseless" and cautioned against spreading false narratives without evidence. It stressed that such accusations could lead to public unrest during crucial phases of elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 48 out of 90 seats in the Haryana elections and formed government for a historic third time.
ECI responds to Congress's concerns about EVM battery levels
In its complaint, the Congress expressed concerns over a 99% battery status on the control units of EVMs during counting in several polling stations in 26 constituencies, hinting at tampering. In response, the poll body stated that the display of battery status was only a feature to assist technical teams. The ECI clarified that battery voltage and capacity have no bearing on vote-counting processes or the reliability of EVMs, calling the suggestion that battery levels influence voting outcomes "preposterous."
