Congratulations to the Election Commission for being included in the agenda: Manoj Jha

Manoj Kumar Jha. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Launching a scathing attack against the Election Commission of India (ECI), which rejected the Congress allegations about irregularities in the Haryana Assembly elections, RJD MP Manoj Jha said on Wednesday (October 30, 2024) that the ECI has become a part of the agenda.

He said that the ECI must be the custodian of a free and fair election, not the custodian of any machine, not of any paper. “Congratulations to the Election Commission for being included in the agenda. When the structure of Article 324 was conceived, it was not conceived in the form of a machine or paper custodian but in the form of a free and fair election. If you have even 1% doubt, then what stops you from going back to the ballot? I would like to say that the Chief Election Commissioner, you are the custodian of a free and fair election, not the custodian of any machine, not of any paper…” said the RJD.

Also Read: Haryana assembly poll results dispel myth of Modi 3.0 govt being weak: Nirmala Sitharaman

This came after the Election Commission of India (ECI) rejected allegations made by the Congress party regarding irregularities in the recent Haryana elections, labelling them as “baseless, misplaced, and devoid of facts.” In a letter to the Congress party, the Commission urged them to refrain from making unfounded claims after every election, accusing the party of creating “generic” doubts without substance.

Notably, ECI advised Congress to adopt firm measures to curb this tendency, cautioning that irresponsible allegations, especially around sensitive times like polling and counting days, could lead to public unrest, turbulence, and chaos. Highlighting five specific cases from the past year, the ECI urged the Congress, a national party with significant experience, to exercise due diligence and avoid habitual, evidence-free criticism of electoral operations. Following a thorough re-verification by returning officers of all 26 Assembly constituencies in question, the ECI wrote to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, affirming that every step in the Haryana electoral process was flawless and conducted under the observation of Congress candidates or their agents.

Addressing Congress’s concerns about the EVM battery display, the ECI clarified that the battery voltage and capacity are irrelevant to the EVMs’ vote-counting functionality and integrity.

“The battery status displayed on the control unit serves only to assist technical teams in monitoring power levels to ensure smooth operation during polling,” it said. The BJP formed its third successive government in Haryana after it won 48 seats in the 90-member Assembly as per the results announced. The Congress won 37 seats. Nayab Singh Saini took the oath for the second consecutive time as the Chief Minister of Haryana.