RJD MP Manoj Jha said on Wednesday that the Election Commission of India has become a part of the agenda after the election body rejected the Congress allegations about irregularities in the recently concluded Haryana Assembly elections.  

Hitting out at the Election Commission, the Rajya Sabha MP said that the ECI must be the custodian of a free and fair election, not the custodian of any machine, not of any paper.

“Congratulations to the Election Commission for being included in the agenda. When the structure of Article 324 was conceived, it was not conceived in the form of a machine or paper custodian but in the form of a free and fair election,” he said.

He added, “If you have even 1% doubt, then what stops you from going back to the ballot? I would like to say that the Chief Election Commissioner, you are the custodian of a free and fair election, not the custodian of any machine, not of any paper.”

The RJD leader’s comment came after ECI rejected allegations made by the Congress party regarding irregularities in the recent Haryana elections, labelling them as baseless, misplaced, and devoid of facts.

In a letter to the Congress party, the Commission urged them to refrain from making unfounded claims after every election, accusing the party of creating generic doubts without substance.

The Election Commission of India has advised Congress to implement strict measures to prevent irresponsible allegations, especially during sensitive periods like polling and counting days. Such claims could lead to public unrest, turbulence, and chaos.

The ECI highlighted five specific cases from the past year and urged Congress, a national party with significant experience, to practice due diligence and refrain from making habitual, evidence-free criticisms of the electoral process.

After a thorough re-verification by returning officers of all 26 contested Assembly constituencies, the ECI wrote to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, confirming that every step in the Haryana electoral process was executed flawlessly and was monitored by Congress candidates or their agents.

In response to Congress’s concerns about the EVM battery display, the ECI clarified that the battery’s voltage and capacity do not affect the voting functionality or integrity of the EVMs.

“The battery status displayed on the control unit is solely for technical teams to monitor power levels, ensuring smooth operation during polling,” the ECI stated.

In a significant development, India and China have completed the disengagement exercise in the Depsang and Demchok friction points at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The troops of both the countries are now verifying the vacation of positions and removal of infrastructure.

Reportedly, the Indian Army said that coordinated patrolling will start soon by both sides, and the ground commanders will continue to hold talks. The two sides will exchange sweets for Diwali tomorrow.

Earlier, Foreign secretary Vikram Misri announced that New Delhi and Beijing reached an agreement to disengage in the remaining friction points at LAC in eastern Ladakh. After the agreement, the two countries began troops disengagement at the two friction points at Demchok and Depsang plains on October 23.

India-China relations worsened because of the Chinese troops’ aggression along the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border, in April 2020. It further deteriorated on June 15, 2020, after 20 Indian soldiers died in the line of duty thwarting the Chinese offensive in the Galwan Valley. New Delhi had said India’s bilateral relations with China will normalise only after the situation at the LAC returns to what it was before May 2020.

Reports said that the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have pulled back their forward-deployed troops and equipment from the two flashpoints, and have also dismantled temporary structures that had been built during the four-year-long standoff.

The Indian soldiers will resume their patrolling in areas that had been cut off because of the PLA’s presence. Nonetheless, the disengagement in Depsang and Demchok will not lead to the creation of buffer zones.

Both the countries had disengaged from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15) areas and created buffer zones. Speaking to a newspaper publication, Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), a former director general of military operations said that the disengagement at Depsang and Demchok will facilitate patrolling by both sides in a coordinated manner, and in the agreed upon frequency and strength of the patrolling parties.

Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly elections, a cold war between uncle and nephew has broke out, with Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar hitting back at Sharad Pawar on Wednesday saying it was not right on the part of NCP (SP) supremo to do so as he had got emotional while remembering his mother.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that he has always considered Sharad Pawar a god but after such an act by such a veteran, seasoned and experienced leader, it was in a bad taste. “Many people did not like it after he mimicked me. It would have been alright if it had been done by Yogendra Pawar, who is the NCP(SP) nominee against Uncle Ajit Pawar in Baramati, or others,” he said.

“I got a bit emotional after taking my mother’s name. I broke into tears and it was a natural one. Sometimes it happens. I did not take out my handkerchief but he did that,” Ajit Pawar added.

“For so long I thought that only Raj Thackeray mimics but yesterday ‘Saheb’ (Sharad Pawar) mimicked me,” the Deputy CM said. He reiterated that his estranged uncle should not have done it saying “I really feel very bad”.

Sharad Pawar on Tuesday mimicked Ajit Pawar at a rally in Pune district’s Baramati Assembly constituency.

Earlier on Monday, after filing his nomination from Baramati, Ajit Pawar became emotional while addressing a rally. He claimed that Sharad Pawar had caused a rift in the family and ran Yugendra Pawar against him.

“I previously admitted to making a mistake, but it seems like others are now making errors too. My family and I had agreed to file the form in Baramati first, but that didn’t happen. Despite the challenges, we managed to improve the situation. My mother has been very supportive, and she even advised that they should not nominate anyone against Ajit Pawar. However, I was told that Saheb (Sharad Pawar) instructed someone to file a nomination against me. Saheb created the split within the family. I just want to say that politics should not be brought to such a low level because it took generations to be united and it doesn’t take a single moment to break the family,” Ajit Pawar said.

In a viral video, Sharad Pawar could be seen mimicking Ajit Pawar by taking off his glasses and wiping his face with a handkerchief. This action elicited a massive cheer from the crowd gathered at the rally.

He added, “Be it Ajit Pawar or Yugendra Pawar, everyone has the right to contest elections in a democracy. It should be contested peacefully and try to put forward your policies before the public.” The former Union Minister also highlighted the importance of a peaceful election process and clear communication of policies.