M A I N   N E W S

Haryana Cong wants counting on Feb 24
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 19
The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) has written to the Election Commission requesting it to take up the counting of votes for the state Assembly polls on the morning of February 24 instead of the previous afternoon.

Adding a fresh twist to the ongoing controversy, HPCC president Bhajan Lal has expressed apprehension over a possible law and order problem if the counting is taken up in the second half of February 23 as announced by the Election Commission.

Mr Bhajan Lal, who was prodded by the AICC to write this letter, pointed out that Haryana had recently witnessed frequent power breakdowns because of deliberate sabotage by the state government. He said any delay in the announcement of election results could lead to a law and order problem.

While seeking postponement of the counting till the next morning, Mr Bhajan Lal pointed out that the Election Commission will be responsible in case there is an untoward incident during the unchanged schedule.

Mr Janardan Dwivedi, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Haryana, maintained that the PCC’s request to the Election Commission was based on the ground situation, adding that its apprehensions were justified given the nature of the present state government.

The Election Commission’s decision to advance the counting from February 27 to 23 has snowballed into a major controversy as an angry Haryana chief minister
O. P. Chautala threatened to challenge the order in court. 

BJP also for February 24
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 19
In a fax message sent to the Election Commission of India, the Haryana BJP has said that the counting of votes in the evening would create additional security and law and order problems because frequent power failures could not be ruled out in the state. 

The party also pointed out that the repolling at six polling booths in Haryana would end only after 5 p.m. on February 23. The BJP urged the Election Commission to reschedule the counting on February 24.