Congress forms 'EAGLE' panel to monitor EC’s poll handling

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has announced the formation of Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE), an eight-member committee, to oversee the Election Commission’s (EC) handling of elections.

The committee, comprising Ajay Maken, Digvijaya Singh, Abhishek Singhvi, Praveen Chakravarty, Pawan Khera, Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Nitin Raut and Challa Vamshi Chand Reddy, will first investigate the alleged manipulation of voter list in Maharashtra and submit a report to the party leadership.

EAGLE will also review past elections in other states and proactively monitor upcoming polls for potential electoral irregularities. Notably, the Congress has been repeatedly alleging manipulation of EVM by the BJP and has even advocated return to paper ballots for conducting future elections.