EC not updating data as Congress wins several seats, claims Hooda

Chandigarh: As the counting of votes is underway, senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday blamed that the data of the Election Commission of India is not being updated and there are several seats that the party has won.

“The data is not being updated. As per the information I have, we are touching the majority. Confusion is being created, and there are several seats that we have won, but the data has not been updated yet,” Hooda told the media in Rohtak.

Celebrations began at Hooda's Rohtak residence as Congress took a comfortable lead in initial vote trends.

“I have news that counting is stopped at several places. We are getting the majority. This is a game, the ball is sometimes here, sometimes there but we will do the final goal,” Hooda, who is the candidate from his stronghold Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, said.

Poll observers say that by defying all exit poll results, the ruling BJP is certain to win a third term in office as the counting of votes is underway, with incumbent Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini saying the party is ready to serve Haryana for the third time.

However, the Congress, which has been out of power for 10 years, has been far behind despite it has won more seats than the 2019 Assembly elections.

This electoral battle, the first significant face-off between the two national parties after the Lok Sabha elections, has the potential to shape the political discourse in the upcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi.

The BJP and Congress have been engaged in a seesaw battle since counting began at 8 a.m., with the BJP on track for a hat trick, leading in 45 seats and already securing three wins. The Congress is ahead in 34 seats and has also won eight seats.

Interestingly, the Aam Aadmi Party has not yet secured any seats in Haryana despite contesting on all 90 seats.

“The BJP is ready to serve Haryana for the third time” said BJP leader and incumbent Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who is leading from the Ladwa seat in Kurukshetra district.

BJP’s state president Mohan Lal Badoli, who is not contesting the polls, said, “Our national leadership has already decided that Nayab Singh Saini will remain the Chief Minister.”