EC Agrees To Meet Congress Delegation At 6 PM Today After Party Flags Concern Over 'Unexpected' Haryana Result

After the Haryana setback, Congress said it was analysing the 'unexpected' result in the state and also flagged 'irregularities' in the counting of votes in some Assembly constituencies.

The Election Commission of India on Wednesday wrote to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, after the party expressed its concern over its "unexpected" setback in the Haryana election results on Tuesday. The EC has agreed to meet the Congress delegation at 6 PM today.

"The Commission has meanwhile noted the statements from your good self and the Leader of Opposition which have termed the Haryana results as "unexpected" and that the INC proposes to analyse the same and approach the ECI with its complaints/grievances. Proceeding on a fair assumption that the statement of the Party President is the formal party position on the electoral outcome, the ECI has agreed to meet the delegation today at 6 PM." the EC letter noted.

EC's letter came in response to statements made by Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera on Tuesday during a press conference after the Haryana election results. They claimed that the Haryana "election results are unacceptable" for Congress and alleged irregularities in the vote counting and functioning of the EVMs.

Earlier today, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also broke his silence on Congress's setback and dubbed the results "unacceptable". He also pointed out at "irregularities" in vote counting and said that the grand old party was analysing the Haryana results.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi thanked those who voted for Congress and added that the party was "analysing the unexpected results of Haryana".

"We will inform the Election Commission about the complaints coming from many assembly constituencies," he said.

"Proceeding on a fair assumption that the statement of the party president is the formal party position on the electoral outcome, the ECI has agreed to meet the delegation today at 6 pm,in the Sukumar Sen Hall (seventh floor), Nirvachan Sadan" the letter added.

Reacting to the statements by senior Congress leaders, the EC said reactions such as these were "unheard in the rich democratic heritage of the country" and were "far from a legitimate part of free speech & expression".

It further stated that such remarks by party leaders "move towards an undemocratic rejection of the will of the people" expressed in accordance with the statutory and regulatory electoral framework.

The poll body confirmed receiving a a request seeking a meeting time of a 12 member official INC delegation, including those claimed that the results were "unacceptable".