Claiming that the “integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised,” Congress on Friday slammed the Election Commission and vowed to launch a “national movement.”
“The Congress Working Committee (CWC) believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. 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 Congress said in a statement.
Notably, Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a major setback in the recently held Maharashtra state elections as the party won just 16 seats out of 288 assembly segments while its ally Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, won 20 seats, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction secured just 10 seats.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said that “electoral malpractices” influenced the result of the Haryana Assembly election.
“The CWC also acknowledged that the party’s performance in Haryana has been contrary to all expectations. The INC should have formed the government in the state by a convincing margin, but it didn’t. However, there have been electoral malpractices that influenced the result in the state, which have been overlooked,” he said.
In the Haryana assembly election, Congress faced defeat, with the BJP securing a third consecutive term in government after winning 48 seats in the 90-member assembly, while the Congress only managed to secure 37 seats.
He said that the CWC accepted the party’s performance in Maharashtra, that was “unexplainable and shocking,” and it appears to be a clear case of “targeted manipulation.”
“The CWC also accepted that the party’s performance, as indeed that of its MVA allies, in Maharashtra, has been unexplainable and shocking. The electoral outcome is beyond normal understanding, and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation,” he said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also claimed that EVM has made the electoral process suspicious.
Taking to X, Kharge shared his opening statement at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, “I believe that EVM has made the electoral process suspicious. The Election Commission is a constitutional institution, so the less said about it the better. But it is the constitutional responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections in the country. Questions are being raised again and again as to what extent this responsibility is being fulfilled.”
Kharge said due to Congress repeated defeats, fascist forces are making their roots deeper. One by one they are taking over the institutions of the state.
“Due to our repeated defeats, fascist forces are making their roots deeper. One by one they are taking over the institutions of the state,” he said.
He also said that Congress must become the voice of the growing class of have-nots, who are suffering from unemployment, inflation, and deepening inequality.
“In the last 11 years, a large class of have-nots has emerged, who are troubled by unemployment, inflation, and deepening inequality. We have to become their strong voice. It is important for the Congress party to come to power because if we form the government, we can implement the agenda of 140 crore people of the country. We can implement the agenda of India’s progress,” he said.
Citing issues like Manipur and Sambhal, Kharge accused the BJP of raising religious issues through various means to divert the country’s attention from its failures.
“There are many issues, from Manipur to Sambhal, these are very serious matters. The BJP is trying to raise many religious issues through various means to divert the attention of the country from its failures,” he said.
He added that the Congress party needs to take tough decisions, as despite encouraging results in the Lok Sabha elections, it has suffered setbacks in the Vidhan Sabha elections.
“After achieving encouraging results in the Lok Sabha elections, we have suffered a setback in the Vidhan Sabha elections. That is why we will have to take tough decisions,” he said.
He also urged Congress leaders not to be disheartened by defeats and to move forward by overcoming the current challenges.
“Finally, I want to say that we need not be disheartened by defeat. We will have to bring about change from the grassroots level, from block, district to AICC, with a new resolve. We will have to bring about the necessary changes with time. We have overcome challenges in the past as well. Therefore, we will have to move ahead by overcoming the current challenges,” he said.
Venugopal said the Congress Working Committee (CWC) reviewed the party’s performance in the last assembly elections and decided to form internal committees at the block and district levels to address “electoral performance and organisational issues.”
Addressing a press conference, Venugopal said, “81 people attended today’s CWC meeting. We analysed the performance of the party in the recently concluded Assembly election. The CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into matters related to electoral performance and organisational issues in the blocks and districts.”
Venugopal also said that the victory of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Wayanad by-election has generated a massive wave of enthusiasm among the party workers.
“The overwhelming victory of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Wayanad by-election has generated a massive wave of enthusiasm among the party workers as well as the wider public,” he said.
Notably, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra secured the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat with a margin of 4,10,931 votes, defeating Sathyan Mokeri of the Communist Party of India (CPI).
He added that the party will press for the restoration of full-fledged statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“The CWC thanks the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the confidence they have placed in the INC and NC alliance in such a clear manner. While accepting that our own performance should have been better, our party will press for the restoration of full-fledged statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.”
Notably, in Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the National Conference-led alliance secured 48 seats, with the NC winning 42 and the Congress just six seats.
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance emerged victorious with 132 seats, while its allies–the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar–secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
He mentioned that the CWC had decided to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s presidency in the Congress’ plenary in 1924 at Belgaum (now called Belagavi) in December. The three-day session that began on December 26, 1924, was the only Congress session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.
“The CWC has already passed a resolution. The party has also decided to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s presidency in 1924 at Belgaum in December. An extended Working Committee will be held, followed by a massive rally in Belgaum,” he said.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting was held at the AICC headquarters in Delhi and was attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Congress leader Ambika Soni, and other senior party officials. (ANI)
