Cong leader Sarv Mittar express displeasure over Sirsa DEO’s checking, verification process of votes counted

After facing a defeat of 4,191 votes from Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) nominee Arjun Chautala, grand-son of former Haryana chief minister OP Chautala from Rania, Congress candidate Kamboj had approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) and demanded verification of votes counted through EVMs and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips on nine polling booths

Journalist-turned Congress leader Sarv Mittar Kamboj, who unsuccessfully contested the 2024 assembly polls from Rania assembly seat in Sirsa, on Thursday, expressed displeasure over the Sirsa district election office’s checking and verification process of votes counted through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips on nine polling booths of Rania assembly segment, on a complaint filed by him.

After facing a defeat of 4,191 votes from Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) nominee Arjun Chautala, grand-son of former Haryana chief minister OP Chautala from Rania, Congress candidate Kamboj had approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) and demanded verification of votes counted through EVMs and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips on nine polling booths. The Sirsa district election office has agreed to conduct a checking and verification process from January 9 to 13.

Talking to media persons, Congress leader Kamboj said that instead of counting EVM votes with voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips, the district officials started a mock poll and told them to check votes pressed in the EVM are matched with VVPAT slips.

“ We had approached the ECI to check voter roll manipulation and discrepancies by checking the votes polled in the EVM during the election with the VVPAT. We wanted to check the polling data but the officials refused to match the EVM votes on nine booths with VVPATs. The officials are not following the directions of the Supreme Court. We will approach the top court,” he added.

INLD candidate Arjun Chautala, who is MLA from Rani said that the Congress party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his aides are blaming their debacle on the EVM.

“ We had never raised the question on the EVM functioning. The people had rejected the Congress and now their leaders are blaming EVMs for their defeat,” he added.