Hours before the counting of votes in the Assembly elections to five States were to begin, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat alleged that CCTV cameras in a strongroom at Haridwar had malfunctioned thrice.
Separately, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, wrote a letter to party workers saying that the fight had just begun, and urged them to respect the people's mandate.
"Will the Election Commission and the District Electoral Officer take note of the fact that CCTV cameras in the strongroom in Haridwar malfunctioned thrice? The reputation of the State government is at stake in one or two cases. That's why they are trying to win the elections through any means," Mr. Rawat said on Twitter. He added that the fairness of the elections comes under strong suspicion if CCTV cameras inside a strongroom stop functioning not once but three times.
Exit polls have predicted an almost photo finish between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in the hill State of Uttarakhand, and the Congress has deployed senior leaders like Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel for post-poll management.
Whereas most exit polls have said that the Congress will not reach double digits in terms of the number of seats, Ms. Vadra wrote a letter to motivate party workers and leaders. She lauded them for taking up people's issues despite not being in power for a very long time, and urged party colleagues to protect every single vote and continue the fight with renewed vigour.
"Tomorrow, the result will be according to people's wisdom and understanding. That's supreme. Respecting the mandate, we have to be prepared to continue our struggle for the people with complete dedication and sincerity. The fight has just begun and we have to move forward with renewed vigour and energy," she said.
