Not Under Any Pressure, Says EC after RJD and Congress Claim Certificates Withheld from Winning Candidates

The Election Commission on Tuesday said it has never worked under anybody’s pressure and refuted the RJD’s allegations about not giving winning certificates to candidates of the Grand Alliance.

The RJD in a tweet had listed 119 seats where the Grand Alliance candidates had won after completion of counting, and returning officers had allegedly congratulated them for the victory, but they are not given certificates. The RJD accused the ruling Nitish Kumar administration of delaying the counting of votes for at least 10 seats in Bihar where the counting of votes was underway.

However, the Election Commission shortly afterwards refuted the allegations. “The Election Commission has never worked under anybody’s pressure. All officials and machinery are working sincerely for declaration of the Bihar election results,” said EC Secretary General Umesh Sinha after both Congress and RJD approached it.

Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan in a press conference said the poll body has learnt about this tweet and cited the results and trends are available on the Election Commission website constituency wise. “At 10 pm, we are here. The results of 146 seats have been declared. In 97 cases trends are available. So this is the factual situation available in the public domain for everybody to see and witness.”

The poll body said the last few phases of counting are remaining in Bihar polls, and it may hold another press conference at midnight, if required, with the final update on the polls. It was not clear whether the counting of ballots will continue throughout the night.

However, when asked about the list of 119 candidates put out by the RJD, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, Umesh Sinha, clarified that whatever information is it with the Election Commission is authentic information, as it reaches the poll body after data is authenticated. “The returning officers complete the task assigned and the observers supervise the process. They follow the due procedure and then that information is submitted. There can be some gaps in the information: the information with them and the official information”, he added.

Taking to Twitter, the RJD earlier claimed that candidates who had won already were not given their certificates. The party further alleged that Kumar and Deputy CM Sushil Modi were instructing the chief secretary to call District Magistrates and ROs to pressure them into swindling the results in their favour.

In another tweet, the RJD alleged that Kumar, Modi and others were pressuring the DMs with strict orders to arrest the number of seats won by the Mahagathbandhan at 105-110. “We will not let the public vote be looted under any circumstances,” the tweet claimed.

RJD Leader Manoj Jha also targeted the CM and alleged that electoral officials were working under his guidance.

“There are 30 assembly constituencies where officials are either delaying or not issuing certificates (to RJD candidates). They are resorting to dilatory tactics. I request the officials to work in an impartial manner as we are going to win,” he said, claiming these 30 seats included Parbatta, Parihar, Barbigha, Madhuban, Triveniganj, Maharajganj, Sarairanjan, Katihar, Kurhani, Bochaha and Khagaria.

“We are certainly going to form the government. We are 200% confident of it. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and officials must keep this in mind,” the RJD MP told reporters.

Asked whether he is threatening officials, Jha said, “I am just making a request to them to remain impartial.”

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also tweeted that the party’s candidate from Rajapakar, Vaishali Pratima Kumar Das, won by 1,720 votes but the DM has refused to give her the certificate confirming her victory. He added, “This is neither the tradition of a democracy, nor is it legal. Where is the Election Commission?”

Leaders of the Congress and the RJD approached the state Election Commission in Patna on Tuesday night. “There are discrepancies. We expect justice from the Election Commission,” said Congress leader Akhilesh Singh.

“There are over dozens of seats where tampering has been done. They are trying to change the people’s mandate, even after all such ill-intended attempts we will form the government,” said Jha after leaving the EC office in Patna.

RJD supporters also held demonstrations against Kumar for allegedly influencing counting of votes, outside party leader and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s house.

As per the latest Election Commission of India (ECI) trends, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is leading on 121 seats. BJP leaders Sushil Kumar Modi and Bhupendra Yadav have also reached Nitish Kumar’s residence. Counting of votes is underway for the 243-seat assembly and as per trends the NDA has an edge over the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan.

Many Bihar exit poll results have predicted a victory for the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandhan. If Tejashwi Yadav wins big in the Bihar Assembly elections, then he will be the second only leader to join the elite league of being third chief minister from a political family.

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