Gurgaon civic polls: Candidates demand recounting of votes, DC says no

Former Haryana power minister and senior Congress leader Captain (retd) Ajay Singh Yadav told mediapersons that the administration did not cooperate with the candidates who were demanding a recounting.

A drama ensued at the Mini Secretariat on Sunday night soon after the results of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) results were announced. Many candidates who lost demanded a recounting of votes on Monday.

Many candidates who lost demanded a recounting of votes on Monday.(Sanjeev Verma/HT FILE PHOTO)

Former Haryana power minister and senior Congress leader Captain (retd) Ajay Singh Yadav told mediapersons that the administration did not cooperate with the candidates who were demanding a recounting.

“We have doubts about the electronic voting machine (EVM) and that is why we demanded a recounting of votes in wards 6, 4 and 35. The Congress lent its support to 15 independent candidates and five of them won. This is a sign that we could have won more seats had we contested on the party symbol. In seven seats, candidates supported by the Congress emerged as runners-up. Parveen Yadav from ward 4, Sunder Singh’s wife Pushpa Kumari from ward 35 and Naresh Sehrawat from ward 6 met deputy commissioner (DC) Gurgaon Vinay Pratap Singh on Monday demanding a recounting but he refused their request,” said Yadav, adding that the three candidates lost by narrow margins.

Till late Sunday, the recounting drama went on with officials on duty repeating the counting exercise for wards 4 and 19, on the complaints of the candidates concerned.

From ward 4, there were initial reports of victory of Parveen Yadav but later INLD’s Virender Raj Yadav was declared winner. In ward 19, BJP candidate Pramod Kumar Mangla objected to the result after which a recounting was held but again independent candidate Ashwani Sharma emerged the winner.

The supporters of the candidates exchanged heated arguments, shouted slogans and caused a traffic jam around the Mini Secretariat.

“There is no question of a recounting and if candidates feel that there should be such an exercise, they can approach the court for a remedy,” said a senior administrative official.

Sunder Singh said his wife Pushpa Sunder Singh lost by 212 votes.

“I appealed to the district administration for a recount but the officials denied me. I am left with no choice but to move court,” Sunder said.

He said Parveen Yadav and Naresh Sehrawat were announced winners but later the two were declared defeated after a recounting happened on the requests of candidates.