New Delhi, October 8 - The Congress party has raised concerns over the delayed uploading of poll trends on the Election Commission's website, alleging pressure from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the administration.
As the results of the Haryana Assembly elections unfolded on Tuesday, the Congress complained that the Election Commission's website was slow to update, allowing the BJP to surge past their tally.
"The delay in uploading up-to-date trends on the ECI website is unacceptable," Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted. "Is the BJP trying to build pressure on the administration by sharing outdated and misleading trends?"
Ramesh also wrote to the Election Commission, highlighting the discrepancy. "There's an inordinate and unacceptable delay in updating trends," he stated.
Congress leader Pawan Khera echoed Ramesh's concerns, pointing out a mismatch between the number of rounds counted and the data displayed on television.
"The Election Commission data is lagging behind," Khera told ANI. "They're showing fourth or fifth round data while 11 rounds have been counted. This raises questions about the transparency of the process."
The BJP has crossed the halfway mark, leading on 48 seats, while the Congress trails on 33, according to the latest trends on the Election Commission website.
Reacting to the Congress's allegations, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya dismissed their claims.
"The Congress has a habit of crying every time they lose," Malviya told India Today TV. "Earlier, they blamed EVMs; now, they're blaming the Election Commission website. They should accept the people's verdict and their own shortcomings."
Malviya emphasized the BJP's performance, citing the party's historic third-term victory in Haryana.
"The Congress must accept they're no longer the default option," he added.
The developments have sparked a war of words between the two parties, with the Congress demanding greater transparency and the BJP urging its rival to concede defeat graciously.