Congress Demands Investigation into Haryana EVM 'Discrepancies'

The Congress party has raised serious concerns about electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the recent Haryana Assembly elections, demanding an immediate investigation into what they call "glaring discrepancies." A delegation of senior Congress leaders presented their concerns to the Election Commission in Delhi on Wednesday.

The party's top leaders, including former Chief Ministers Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Ashok Gehlot, along with national leaders KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken, and Pawan Khera, submitted a detailed memorandum highlighting their concerns. Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan was also present at the meeting. 

The main issue raised by the Congress centers around unusual battery levels in EVMs across multiple constituencies. According to their complaints, some machines showed 99% battery capacity during counting, while most EVMs typically operate at 60-70% battery capacity. The party has reported at least 20 such cases, with seven formal written complaints from different Assembly constituencies. 

The delegation has requested that all EVMs in question be sealed and secured until a thorough investigation is completed. They emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring voter trust in the system.