ChandigarhNovember 5, 2025 06:23 PM IST
First published on: Nov 5, 2025 at 06:18 PM IST
Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday alleged massive discrepancies in Haryana’s voter lists, accusing the Election Commission (EC) and the ruling BJP of “stealing” the 2024 state Assembly polls. Reacting to what Rahul called the “H files”, Haryana’s Congress veteran and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, spoke with The Indian Express over various aspects of the row. Excerpts:
What do you have to say on Rahul Gandhi’s claims?
This is exactly what I have been saying all these months. Immediately after the Haryana election results came out, I had said that not the votes, but the government of Haryana has been stolen from the Congress. All this manipulation now stands exposed. It was not a fair election that took place in Haryana in October 2024.
How many seats do you believe were allegedly manipulated?
I cannot give an exact number of how much manipulation was done on how many seats and where, but all I can say is that the election outcome was far away from reality. People were stunned with the shocking results. My first reaction was also that in a democracy whatever is the people’s decision, we will accept it, but we will accept it under protest. The results were completely opposite to what the atmosphere was in the state at that time.
How many election petitions or complaints have the Congress candidates filed. What are their status now?
More than a dozen of our candidates had immediately filed complaints, seeking rechecking of EVMs, recounting and on several other grounds. Several candidates have deposited requisite amount of money with the EC to seek rechecking of EVMs, but have not got any response yet. In one such case, our Rania candidate (Sarvmittar Kamboj) even moved the Supreme Court. This was when the EC told him that they will show him a new EVM’s functioning to which he strongly objected that why the EC would not show him the actual EVMs used for polling on particular booths where he apprehended manipulation. Then Supreme Court had directed Election Commission to keep those particular EVMs (used in voting) intact. The case is still going on. Legal fights are being fought, but the people know the truth.
What will be the Congress’s next course of action?
It is for the people to see. What Rahul ji today highlighted shows the scale on which the elections have been manipulated. It is for awareness of people that he has highlighted it all.
What is your take on the EC’s role?
Our candidates have filed petitions or complaints, which have been pending in courts. It is a sub-judice matter. I would not like to comment any further on the EC’s role.
Does this row raise questions on the functioning of EVMs too?
All this makes it even more important that the elections need to be conducted through ballot papers and not EVMs. Even a country like Germany had gone back to ballot papers because it is apprehended that EVMs can be manipulated. The same should be done here too. Because, in democracy, if doubts are being raised on the functioning of EVMs repeatedly, the country should adopt the system of ballot papers and not use EVMs in the electoral process.