Miffed Over Maharashtra Loss, Congress Writes To Ballot Panel, Needs Inquiry


New Delhi:

The Congress – nonetheless fuming over defeat within the Maharashtra election – submitted an “pressing memorandum” to the Election Commission Friday, asking for an in-person assembly to red-flag “sure critical and grave inconsistencies… in information associated to polling and counting processes”.

In a 12-page doc submitted this afternoon, the Congress additionally referred to doubts about voter information that had been raised by former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and raised two factors of concern.

The primary was “arbitrary deletion of voters. and subsequent addition of over 10,000 voters in every constituency” and the second was an “inexplicable enhance in voting percentages…”

Primarily based on these factors, the Congress has alleged a systemic effort to attempt to cut back the variety of voters (and votes) “sympathetic to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (the opposition alliance, of which the Congress is a member, and which misplaced closely to the BJP-led Mahayuti mix)”.

The Congress has urged the EC to conduct a radical investigation into its complaints.

Congress’ Complaints To EC

Among the many claims made in its submission to the EC, the Congress mentioned the “arbitrary inclusion/deletion of voter data” led to an “unprecedented enhance of (round) 47 lakh voters being added to the electoral roll from between July 2024 and November 2024”.

“It’s vital to notice that out of the 50 Meeting seats the place there was a median enhance of fifty,000 voters, the ruling regime and its allies secured victory from 47…” the Congress mentioned.

The Congress submitted alleged manipulation of voter listing on the Tuljapur seat for example, noting “faux Aadhaar playing cards had been created by people with differing images and names” to solid unlawful votes.

The Tuljapur seat – held by the Congress’ Madhukarrao Chavan from 1999 to 2014 – was received by the BJP’s Ranajagjitsinha Patil by 37,000 votes. That is the primary time the BJP has ever received this seat.

On the second red-flag – i.e., discrepancies in voter turnout information – the Congress identified the EC’s common voter turnout at 5 pm was 58.22 per cent, and that this jumped to 65.02 per cent by 11.30 pm.

“Additional, there was one other enhance in voting proportion, finally being reported as 66.05 per cent, a number of hours previous to counting. From a typical sense viewpoint, over 70 lakh votes being solid within the closing hour of polling is implausible and unparalleled in electoral historical past…” the Congress reasoned.

“Even assuming time taken by one particular person to solid their vote is 2 minutes… it’s unimaginable for the Election Fee to have even come out with the ultimate information by 11.30 pm, contemplating that 76 lakh voters would have exercised their franchise throughout the final hour of polling…”

“It’s submitted,” the Congress’ letter concluded, “that the mentioned discrepancies increase a number of questions in regards to the method during which the election was performed throughout Maharashtra.”

Congress’ Complaints About Haryana Loss

Persevering with claims about voter fraud, the gradual price at which information is revealed (on the EC’s web site) on counting day, and the credibility of EVMs, or digital voting machines, made headlines earlier this month too, after the Congress complained in regards to the Haryana ballot outcome.

Exit polls had anticipated the social gathering to say a convincing win and the day started nicely, with the Congress surging into an early large lead. Nevertheless, as counting continued the BJP scripted a comeback and, finally, a cushty win to say a historic third time period within the state.

A livid Congress refused to just accept the decision, insisting EVMs had been hacked and elevating questions on alleged delays within the Election Fee publishing voting information on-line.

EC’s Response To Earlier Congress Grievance

On complaints in regards to the Haryana outcome, the EC had hit again onerous, criticising the Congress for making “baseless allegations… when confronted with inconvenient electoral outcomes”, and warning it, and different events, towards “unfounded and sensational complaints” throughout voting and counting processes.

READ | “Haryana Electoral Process Flawless”: EC Hits Back At Congress

BJP Slams Congress

The Congress’ complaints about EVMs and potential voter fraud, in the meantime, have been picked up and trashed by the BJP. On Thursday the profitable social gathering identified that if its rival’s declare about defective EVMs are true, then the outcomes of elections that they had received needs to be questioned too.

READ | “If They Lose, They Cry. But If They Win…”: BJP Mocks Congress On EVMs

“In the event that they lose, they begin crying about EVMs. And, in the event that they win, the Congress wins… It isn’t the EVM, it’s the Congress’ intentions which can be unhealthy!” the BJP mentioned in a Hindi put up on X.

READ | “Jharkhand Election Fair But If We…”: D Fadnavis On EVM Moans

Within the last spherical of elections for 2024, the Congress-led INDIA bloc retained energy in Jharkhand, thanks largely to Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. However the nationwide social gathering was thumped in Maharashtra, with the BJP main its allies to a landslide win.

READ | Priyanka Gandhi Takes Oath As MP Holding Copy Of Constitution

The Congress did, nonetheless, handle to retain the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat; senior chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made a sensational electoral debut from Kerala.

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