Alleging that EVMs have been “hacked” in Haryana to help the BJP win the elections, the Congress on Wednesday told the Election Commission that EVMs having batteries with 99 percent charge were found to have favoured the BJP candidates.
While EVMs with batteries showing 60 to 70 per cent charge, which is normal after a day’s use, registered more votes polled in favour of the Congress candidates compared to their BJP rivals, they added.
A Congress party delegation comprising former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, HPCC chief Uday Bhan and central leaders Ajay Maken, Jairam Ramesh, Ashok Gehlot, Pawan Khera and others met the EC and asked the officials to probe the matter and keep the machines with batteries showing 99 percent charge in safe custody till the probe is completed.
Following a meeting with officials from the ECI, Congress leader Pawan Khera said they drew the poll body’s attention to the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the recent Haryana Assembly elections.
“We apprised the Election Commission about 20 complaints that have come to us, including seven written complaints from seven constituencies with some EVM machines functioning at 99 percent battery capacity, while some EVM Machines were functioning below 60-70 percent battery capacity,” he added.
“After so many days, how can the batteries not be consumed at all? It shows 99%. This is unnatural,” the Congress leader added. He said similar complaints had emerged from 13 other assembly constituencies, vowing to submit these grievances formally to the ECI. “We also told the EC that in the next 48 hours, we will make available to them other complaints that are being compiled,” he said.
“We need concrete answers supported and backed by evidence… What has the BJP got to do with it? This is between the Opposition and the Election Commission of India,” he said. Congress claimed to have won seats where EVMs reportedly operated on batteries charged to only 60-70% while the BJP won several seats where EVMs showed 99 percent battery.