The opposition Congress in Assam has alleged that there was discrepancy in counting of votes in electronic voting machines (EVMs) at Karimganj Lok Sabha seat of the state, the results of which were declared on June 4 along with the seats in the rest of the country.
The seat was won by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kripanath Mallah for the second consecutive time, defeating Congress’s Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury by a margin of 18,360 votes. According to the Election Commission, Mallah secured 545,093 votes while Choudhury received 526,733. However, days after the results, it emerged that while the total votes polled in EVMs for the seat were 1,136,538, the total votes counted (excluding postal ballots) were 1,140,349—showing a discrepancy of 3,811 more votes than polled.
As soon as we came to know about the discrepancy in votes polled in EVMs and votes counted, we mailed a complaint to the Election Commission. The discrepancy questions the result and amounts to corrupt practice. Hence, repolling should be ordered in Karimganj,” Congress candidate Choudhury told journalists in Guwahati on Monday. He urged the EC to order repolling in the entire constituency and to keep the declaration of the BJP candidate’s win in abeyance until the matter is resolved.
“We have tried all options available to us to highlight the malpractices and discrepancies. The difference of 3,811 votes creates doubt about the fairness of the election. Since no action has been taken on our complaints yet, we are left with no other option but to seek legal remedies,” Choudhury said.
Congress Alleges Vote Discrepancy in Karimganj; Inquiry Ordered by Election Commission
The Congress candidate informed that he had filed 19 complaints to the EC on the day of polling, April 26, about mismanagement and rigging of votes in Karimganj, and also named 38 polling centers where such malpractices took place.
The returning officer for the Karimganj seat and DC Karimganj has been asked to inquire and explain the discrepancy. More details can be shared upon receipt of the official report from the returning officer, Karimganj,” chief electoral officer Assam, Anurag Goel, posted on his official X handle on June 8—four days after the counting. Karimganj district collector and returning officer of the seat, Mridul Yadav, didn’t respond to calls seeking details on the inquiry. When contacted, Assam CEO Anurag Goel didn’t specify when Yadav is expected to submit the inquiry report.
In the recent elections, both BJP and Congress maintained their 2019 tally in Assam. While the ruling party secured 9 of the 11 seats it contested, Congress candidates won three seats. The other two seats were won by BJP’s ruling partners, Asom Gana Parishad and United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL).
