After EC snub, Cong forms panel to look into electoral malpractices

After the Election Commission of India (ECI) dismissed Congress’ complaint about irregularities in 26 Assembly constituencies during the Haryana poll, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Udai Bhan announced the setting up of a panel to investigate the “corrupt/malpractices and manipulations committed" at the “behest of BJP govt/party candidate”.

Former minister and five-time MLA Karan Dalal will head the panel, while chairman of legal cell KC Bhatia will be the convener.

The members will be Nuh MLA and former minister Aftab Ahmed, Virender Rathore, former MLA Jaiveer Singh Valmiki, Vijay Pratap Singh and Varinder (Bulle Shah), and Manisha Sangwan.

Earlier, the Congress leaders had filed complaints alleging EVM tampering through representations on October 9, 10, 11, and 14. The ECI, while dismissing the allegations on October 29, said, “…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”.

It added, “The Commission would also like to recall that, seen in retrospect, INC is persistently raising unfounded doubts on the ‘core’ aspects of Indian electoral process, with a sort of discernable pattern of timelines and approach”.

After the ECI’s snub, Congress leaders stated on November 1 that the ECI’s reply was condescending and warned that if the commission persisted with such language, the party would seek legal recourse to challenge such remarks.

The letter to the ECI signed by nine senior Congress leaders, including former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said, “We do not know who is advising or guiding the hon’ble commission, but it seems that the commission has forgotten that it is a body set up under the Constitution and charged with the discharge of certain crucial functions, both administrative and quasi-judicial. If the Commission grants a recognised National Party a hearing or examines issues raised by them in good faith it is not an ‘exception’ or ‘indulgence’. It is the performance of a duty which it is required to do."

The panel headed by Dalal will "collect the details in consultation with all our candidates and other Party leaders and submit its report to HPCC, Chandigarh, within a week for taking further action in the matter”, said the order issued by the state Congress president.