Haryana Cong forms committee to find out 'malpractices' in Assembly polls

The Haryana Congress on Monday formed an eight-member committee to find out, what the party alleged, "malpractices and manipulations" in the recently held state assembly polls "at the behest" of the ruling BJP, leading to its "dismal performance."  The committee was led by former MLA Karan Singh Dalal and it also comprises Nuh MLA Aftab Ahmed, former MLA Jaiveer Singh Valmiki, according to an office order issued by the Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan.

"With a view to find out malpractices and manipulation committed in the recently held Haryana assembly election at the behest of BJP government/party/candidate which led to an unsuspected dismal performance of INC, a committee consisting of following is hereby constituted with immediate effect," it said.

The committee will collect the relevant details in consultation with all party candidates and other leaders of the party and submit its report to Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee here within a week for "taking further action in the matter," it further said.

The BJP retained power in Haryana winning 48 of the 90 seats in the October 5 assembly elections with the Congress bagging 37, INLD two, and Independents three seats.

The Election Commission on October 29 had rejected allegations levelled by the Congress over irregularities in the Haryana assembly polls, saying the party was raising "the smoke of a generic doubt" about the credibility of an entire electoral outcome like it did in the past.

In a strongly-worded letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the poll panel had said such "frivolous and unfounded" doubts have the potential of creating "turbulence" when crucial steps like polling and counting are in live play, a time when both public and political parties' anxiousness is peaking.

The Congress had sought clarification on "perceived lack of clarity" on display of 99 per cent battery status on the control unit of electronic voting machines during counting in some polling stations of 26 assembly seats in Haryana.