After its hard defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, the Congress party  once again raised concerns over the integrity of the electoral process, invoking the issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). They alleged a ‘conspiracy’ and ‘manipulation’ behind the party’s poor performance in the state.

Following their defeat in Haryana last month, Congress questioned the EVM manipulation which the Election Commission has strongly denied. After Saturday’s heavy defeat in Maharashtra, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said they were shocked by the verdict and would analyze the results in detail. However, in a press conference, the party went further, alleging “manipulation” and a “conspiracy” to defeat the INDIA alliance.

Jairam Ramesh Alleges ‘Inexplicable’ Verdict

Congress communication head Jairam Ramesh characterized the outcome as “inexplicable” and said that a level-playing field had been disturbed, alleging a ‘targeted’ effort to defeat the INDIA alliance.

Praise For Jharkhand Victory

Although the Congress party had suffered defeats in Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections, it hailed the result in Jharkhand. It claimed that the people had decisively rejected BJP’s ‘politics of polarization.’

Mallikarjun Kharge Appoints AICC Observers

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed six members of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) as observers for Maharashtra and Jharkhand on Friday. They have been appointed to oversee the post-poll scenario in both the states.

In Maharashtra, the observers appointed include former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, and senior leader G. Parameshwar.

The observers in Jharkhand include Tariq Anwar, Mallu Bhatti Wickramark, and Krishna Allavuru.