EXCLUSIVE: Congress CWC in Belgavi Demands ECI Accountability Over Poll Data Gaps

New Delhi, Dec 21 : The Congress will be holding its extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, the party’s highest decision making body in Karnataka’s Belgaum where it will be bringing a resolution for the Election Commission (EC) to elaborate its process on the voter percentages as the data released on polling day, next day and on counting day instead of entirely blaming the Electronic Voting machines (EVMs).

According to top sources in the Congress, the grand old party is planning to renew its agenda on the EVMs.

The Congress after suffering a surprise defeat in recently concluded Haryana and a massive defeat in Maharashtra assembly polls had blamed the EVMs and also demanded ro go back to the ballot papers.

The party, sources said, is planning to renew its attack on the government as well as the poll panel.

The source pointed out that the party will be highlighting in its resolution that it will be bringing in the CWC that how the polling data differed on the day on polling, after few hours of polling and when official data was announced by the poll panel in a day or two. The source also pointed out that the party will also be highlighting how the voter pecentage changed on the day of counting, thus raising serious concerns on the poll process.

The party in its resolution will ask the government and the Commission to clarify on the process of the data difference and will urge them to clarify the charges.

The Congress will also hold the government accountable on the issue of insult of Dr BR Ambedkar by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha during the debate on 75 years of the Constitution and bring a resolution on that, the source added.

It is worth to mention that the Congress on November 29 CWC had brought a resolution on the use of EVMs and said that the integrity of the entire electoral process was “being severely compromised”, and announced a “national’’ movement to raise public concerns on the issue.

In its resolution, the party said, “Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission.”

“Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take up these public concerns as a national movement,” the resolution read.

The Belgaum (Belgavi) extended CWC holds significance for the Congress as it marks the 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi becoming the president of the grand old party at the Belgavu session on December 26, 1924.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress CWC member Pawan Khera, who is also the Chairman of the publicity department said, “On December 26, Mahatma Gandhi was made the Congress president in Belgavi in 1924. This day is important as several movements were decided in that meeting of the Congress. We will have the extended CWC on the same day.”

“This is an important meeting of the Congress and we will discuss several issues there,” Khera said.

He said that in the 1924 session of Congress many top leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Sarojini Naidu and Subhas Chandra Boss were also present.

He said that in Belgaum, a hut with approximate cost of Rs 300 was made for Mahatma Gandhi but he had refused to stay in that hut and stayed in another simple hut.

Taking a jibe at the BJP, Khera said, “The current government and their leaders must take inspiration from the sacrifices of Mahatma Gandhi and several top leaders of the Congress during the freedom struggle.”