Cong candidate protests Rania vote verification process, plans legal action
A drama unfolded at the Mini Secretariat warehouse during the Checking and Verification (C&V) process of votes from nine booths in the Rania Assembly area on Thursday. Congress candidate Sarvmittar Kamboj halted the process after expressing dissatisfaction with a mock poll conducted by the district election commission. He submitted a written affidavit to Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sharma, stating he would escalate the matter to court.
Kamboj had raised concerns about alleged irregularities at certain booths and requested a recheck of the EVMs. Accompanied by Rania's INLD MLA Arjun Chautala, Kamboj arrived at the warehouse around 10:30 am to observe the proceedings. Election official Devendra Singh said the process adhered strictly to Election Commission guidelines.
The dispute arose when EVMs from booths 149 and 151 were brought out for verification. Engineers deleted old data and uploaded new symbols before activating the machines. However, when only one slip was generated from each machine during activation, Kamboj objected, claiming he had paid Rs 4 lakh for a recount of the 2024 election votes, not for a mock poll.
“I was expecting a recount, not a mock poll or verification of machines. The Election Commission misled me and this process does not align with the Supreme Court’s instructions. I will seek a court ruling on January 21,” Kamboj asserted. He also questioned the necessity of the five-day process and criticised authorities for not providing clarity on the procedures.
Election officials clarified that the mock poll was a standard part of the verification process. They explained that candidates could only request a limited vote check and that VVPAT slip verification required a court order. “VVPAT slips are only opened with a court’s permission,” officials stated.
While Kamboj accused the authorities of failing to conduct the process transparently, Arjun Chautala defended the Election Commission. “The verification was done properly. Congress should focus on fixing their internal issues instead of blaming others for their defeat,” the MLA said.
