The Election Commission of India (ECI) has strongly rejected allegations made by the Congress party about delays in updating the Haryana Assembly election results on its website. On Tuesday, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that there was a slowdown in uploading the latest trends, raising concerns about transparency during the vote-counting process. The Congress also suggested that the delay could be an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate public perception as the counting unfolded. However, the poll panel described these claims as “irresponsible, unfounded, and uncorroborated malafide narratives.”
In a written statement, the Election Commission dismissed the Congress’s accusations, stating that there was no evidence to support the claims of delayed data uploads. “There is nothing on record to substantiate your ill-founded allegation of slowdown in updating of results. Your Memorandum also does not bring out any contrary facts as to the delay at any of the constituencies in Haryana or J&K,” the poll body noted, emphasizing that the Congress’s complaints were baseless.
The Congress’s concerns emerged as the BJP began to surge ahead in the early vote trends for the Haryana Assembly polls. While the Congress was initially leading in a significant number of seats, the BJP crossed the halfway mark and was leading on 48 seats, compared to the Congress’s 33, as per the latest data from the Election Commission’s website. This reversal in trends led Congress leaders to raise suspicions about the integrity of the counting process.
Jairam Ramesh, in a tweet, compared the situation to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, alleging that there was a deliberate slowdown in updating the trends. He suggested that the BJP might be trying to build pressure on the local administration by sharing outdated or misleading data. Additionally, Congress leader Pawan Khera pointed to inconsistencies in the Election Commission’s data, noting that while television channels showed updates for only the fourth or fifth round of counting, by that time, 11 rounds had already been completed.
Responding to these allegations, BJP leaders criticized the Congress for making excuses. Amit Malviya, head of the BJP IT cell, dismissed the claims as a habitual response by the Congress whenever it faces defeat. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also mocked the Congress for its premature celebrations and subsequent complaints, pointing out that Congress leaders had been confident in the morning but were quick to question the Election Commission when the results did not favor them.
The BJP’s victory in Haryana marks its third consecutive win in the state, reinforcing the party’s dominance and signaling strong public support for its governance.
