Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission and BJP of manipulating voter lists during Haryana's 2024 state Assembly polls. He claimed massive discrepancies existed, calling it vote theft. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana's Leader of Opposition and senior Congress figure, supported these allegations in a conversation with The Indian Express. Hooda stated that the government was stolen from Congress, not just votes. He emphasized that manipulation is now exposed and the election held in October 2024 was unfair. More than a dozen Congress candidates filed complaints seeking EVM rechecking and recounting, but responses remain pending. One candidate even approached the Supreme Court after the Election Commission offered to show a new EVM instead of the actual machines used during polling. Hooda stressed the need to return to ballot papers, arguing that repeated doubts about EVMs damage democratic trust.
Election Manipulation and Congress Response
Hooda could not specify exact numbers but insisted the election outcome did not reflect reality. People were stunned by shocking results that contradicted the prevailing atmosphere in Haryana. He mentioned accepting results under protest, acknowledging democratic norms while questioning fairness. Over a dozen Congress candidates deposited money with the Election Commission for EVM rechecking but received no response. In Rania, candidate Sarvmittar Kamboj moved the Supreme Court after objecting to the EC's offer to demonstrate a new EVM rather than the actual machines used. The court directed the Commission to keep those specific EVMs intact. Legal battles continue, and Hooda believes people know the truth. He advocates for ballot papers over EVMs, citing Germany's return to paper ballots due to manipulation fears.
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