The Congress has raised concerns over the delay in counting data updates on the Election Commission’s website after the BJP overtook its lead in the Haryana Assembly election results on Tuesday.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary and head of communications, expressed frustration on social media, saying, "As we saw in the Lok Sabha elections, in Haryana too, the up-to-date trends are being delayed on the Election Commission’s website. Is the BJP trying to influence the administration by sharing outdated and misleading trends?"
At the time, the ruling BJP had crossed the halfway mark of 45 seats, leading in 48 constituencies, while the Congress trailed with 33 seats, according to the latest figures from the Election Commission.
Ramesh also lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission, accusing it of an "inordinate and unacceptable delay" in updating the election results.
Congress leader Pawan Khera echoed similar concerns, pointing to discrepancies between the rounds counted and the data being displayed on TV. "The Election Commission's data is lagging. They are showing results from the fourth or fifth round while 11 rounds have already been counted. Jairam Ramesh has already raised the issue on Twitter, questioning whether the delay is an attempt to pressure local officials. In Jammu and Kashmir, live updates follow every counted round, but this isn’t the case in Haryana," Khera said, according to news agency ANI.
Responding to the Congress’s claims, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya dismissed the accusations. Speaking to India Today TV, he said, "The Congress always cries foul when they lose. First, they blamed EVMs, now they’re blaming the Election Commission's website. Why don’t they introspect and look at their own party's shortcomings?"
Malviya added that the BJP’s success was a testament to its governance in Haryana. "They should accept that the people of Haryana have voted for the BJP for a third consecutive term because of the party’s good work. Congress is no longer the default choice in the country," he said.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also ridiculed Congress for celebrating too early. "At 8:30 or 9 am, Pawan Khera was distributing sweets. By 11:30 am, their spokespersons were attacking the Election Commission, and by noon, Jairam Ramesh began questioning the nation’s institutions. By 2 pm, Congress will probably start questioning the voters themselves," he said, as quoted by ANI.