The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday strongly refuted allegations of poll irregularities in Haryana, calling them “baseless”. In a formal communication to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the ECI outlined its findings, asserting that each stage of the electoral process was meticulously conducted under the observation of Congress candidates or their agents in democratic processes.
“The Commission categorically rejects all baseless allegations and apprehensions conveyed by INC regarding all aspects of the electoral process in the recently concluded election to the state assembly of Haryana,” said the commission in its statement.
It further added that “the Commission normally refrains from responding to grievances relating to constituency specific decentralised electoral processes, whether in case of electoral roll or candidates or deployment of man and material or conduct of poll or counting, officials like ERO/ RO/DEO being the fully empowered election authorities. However, ECI is duty bound to protect and defend the integrity of the core design of this statutory decentralized scheme, that is being sought to be eroded or duplicated, by ‘generic’ petitions/grievances setting out false narratives without any evidence whatsoever, raised in proximity to polling or counting day, which have serious potential to fuel the surcharged environment.”The EC also said that raising such complaints can cause issues in the country. “It is needless to remind that such frivolous and unfounded doubts have the potential of creating turbulence when crucial steps like polling and counting are in live play, a time when both public and political parties’ anxiousness is peaking,” it said.
Calling the approach of the party “carrying baseless allegations” publicly “disconcerting” the EC said that it is “compelled to note that with no evidence whatsoever of any statutory electoral step being compromised and candidate’s consent to proceed to each next stage being on record; the INC has once again raised the smoke of a “generic” doubt about the credibility of an entire electoral outcome exactly in similar manner as it has done in recent past.
Directing its remarks towards the Congress, it said, “This is least expected of a national political party. The Commission appreciates the criticality of the considered views of political parties in sustaining and strengthening electoral democracy in the country and assures that it will remain committed towards timely grievance redressal. At the same time, the Commission sincerely urges INC to take firm and concrete steps, matching with the party’s long and illustrious standing, to amend their afore stated approach and in doing so set an example for emulation by one and all to responsibly conduct themselves at sensitive electoral stages so as to avoid possibilities of precipitation of public unrest and chaos.”
The commission further added that various Constitutional Courts delivered 42 judgments affirming the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after thoroughly examining available records and evidence. The Courts broadly observed that “EVMs are not hackable”, and there is “no material on record to evidence that the EVMs in India are unreliable or suffer from any drawback”. With the VVPAT system, EVMs “ensure the accuracy of the voting system”.
The Congress had stated that EVMs associated with the BJP displayed battery levels of 99%, while those indicating victories for Congress showed only 60-70% charge.
In response, the EC said that it has released comprehensive information on its website addressing common questions about EVM battery operations. The FAQ section elaborates on multiple technical aspects of the power systems used in EVMs.
The document explains different battery varieties and clarifies the application of alkaline cells. It distinguishes between the power packs used in EVMs and those found in mobile phones. Additionally, it details how EVMs maintain consistent performance across varying voltage levels.
The information also addresses a specific query about why the power pack indicator often displays 99 percent charge even after continuous usage throughout polling day.