EC hits back at Rahul, asks why didn't you file appeal

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Wednesday asked Rahul Gandhi why his party had not filed a single appeal after the final electoral roll used for Haryana assembly polls in 2024, was published.Reacting to his fresh allegations of 'vote chori' in Haryana - timed a day before the first phase of polling in Bihar and the day after enumeration started for Phase 2 of SIR - EC suggested the evidence of roll anomalies with respect to Rai and Hodal assembly constituencies in Haryana, may be placed before HC since it is hearing election petitions (EPs) challenging the result in both ACs.

Overall, just 23 EPs were filed in Haryana after the poll.The EC official said that while Rahul, on the one hand, opposes SIR - aimed at purifying the electoral roll by removing voters who are dead, enrolled at two or more places, permanently shifted or non-citizens - "he keeps giving presentations to bring out impurities in the past rolls"."It is clear he has warmed up to SIR after having criticised it in the beginning." Pointing out the lack of any objections on the draft roll by its booth-level agents in Bihar or any appeals before the DM after publication of final rolls in Haryana and Bihar, EC said Rahul and Congress tend to raise irregularities after failing to avail of the multiple opportunities available under the law and relevant rules to have them corrected. "Besides, what were the polling agents of Congress doing? They are supposed to object if the elector who has already voted turns up again, or where his identity is under doubt," said an EC official.

The official also wondered how Rahul had, given the secret ballot, assumed duplicate voters had voted for BJP. On several voters being shown at the same address, EC sources said 'house number zero' is a generic description used where the house number has not been allotted by the panchayat or municipality.Haryana CEO said the draft roll and final roll were shared with all parties including the Congress. Over 4 lakh claims and objections were received against the draft roll but not a single appeal was filed with the DM after the final rolls were out.