Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi finally reacted to the Assembly election results from Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. While Gandhi called the National Conference-Congress alliance’s win a victory of the Constitution, he said the party was analysing Haryana results and will reach out to the Election Commission over complaints of party workers from some constituencies.
“My heartfelt thanks to the people of Jammu and Kashmir – INDIA’s victory in the state is a victory of the Constitution, a victory of democratic self-respect,” Gandhi said as the alliance won the polls in the union territory.
On Haryana, Gandhi said, “We are analysing the unexpected results of Haryana. We will inform the Election Commission about the complaints coming from many assembly constituencies.”
“Heartfelt thanks to all the people of Haryana for their support and to our Babbar Sher workers for their tireless hard work. We will continue this fight for rights, for social and economic justice, for truth, and will keep raising your voice,” he added.
जम्मू-कश्मीर के लोगों का तहे दिल से शुक्रिया – प्रदेश में INDIA की जीत संविधान की जीत है, लोकतांत्रिक स्वाभिमान की जीत है।हम हरियाणा के अप्रत्याशित नतीजे का विश्लेषण कर रहे हैं। अनेक विधानसभा क्षेत्रों से आ रही शिकायतों से चुनाव आयोग को अवगत कराएंगे।
सभी हरियाणा वासियों को…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 9, 2024
Congress Alleges Foul-play in Haryana results
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, senior Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera blamed EVMs — a usual Congress grouse — and said the party had lost on seats “where it had no chance of losing”.
“We are getting constant complaints [from Haryana]. We were being told that EVMs that had 99 per cent battery were leading to our loss, while we won when voters voted on machines that had 60-70 per cent batteries.”
Ramesh said: “Ye tantra ki jeet hai aur loktantra ki haar. We have been constantly complaining to the Election Commission since afternoon. We will give our complaints to EC. Serious questions have been raised by our candidates and this result is against the will of the people of Haryana. Under such circumstances, we cannot accept the results.”
The Congress on Tuesday filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) about a delay in publishing the results of the Haryana assembly election, with Ramesh calling the tactics “mind games”. The charge came after a dramatic turnaround in which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clawed back to victory in the state after initial trends showed Congress leading.
EC Rejects Congress’s Charge
The Election Commission, meanwhile, rejected Congress’s charge, calling the allegations “irresponsible, unfounded and uncorroborated malafide narratives”.
ECI sources told News18 that the allegations were baseless and the trends were being updated on the website constantly. The poll body also said during the Lok Sabha elections, it had responded to Abhishek Manu Singhvi when similar charges were levelled.
BJP Fires Salvos Against Rahul Gandhi
The BJP continued its attack on Gandhi. Jaiveer Shergill, BJP leader who was earlier part of the Congress, took a jibe at Gandhi, saying, “A child who always blames the teacher or the question paper each time after failing the exams is never bound to learn, acknowledge or accept the reality! EVMs are safe, Democracy is Buzzing, Voters have spoken but Logic is definitely dead & buried in the ‘Durbar’!”
A child who always blames the teacher or the question paper each time after failing the exams is never bound to learn, acknowledge or accept the reality !EVMs are safe, Democracy is Buzzing , Voters have spoken but Logic is definitely dead & buried in the “Durbar” !
— Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) October 9, 2024
BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “You should look at the difference between Congress and BJP, our leaders and Rahul Gandhi, when we lose the election, we concede and congratulate the winning party. But Rahul Gandhi tells lies and does a politics of divisiveness. When he gets flopped, he gets disappeared. The select few people who handle him, advise him to keep mum when such situation arises.”
“He did the same in Wayanad, when people were asking for his work, he alleged that ED was about to arrest him. I can predict that he will come up with something new in next 2-3 days, and try to divert the topic. This is the politics of Rahul Gandhi and people are making it out now,” he added.
Earlier too, the BJP took jibes at Gandhi, who didn’t react to the assembly poll results on Tuesday and was nowhere to be found.
“If arrogance and lack of grace had a face, it would be Rahul Gandhi’s. Several hours after the defeat in Haryana, Rahul Gandhi, supreme leader of the Congress party, has not found the time to thank either the voters or workers. He has not had the courtesy to congratulate NC leadership for their performance in Kashmir. No social media post, no media statement. But then what else can you expect from a man who hasn’t even congratulated the longest serving non Congress PM, who won an unprecedented third term? This sense of entitlement of the Gandhis is nauseating,” BJP leader Amit Malviya posted on X (previously Twitter), on Tuesday.
