Wed Nov 20 16:54:43 UTC 2024: ## Congress on High Alert for Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly Polls
**Mumbai/Ranchi, [Date]:** With voting underway in Maharashtra and the second phase of voting commencing in Jharkhand today, the Congress party has placed its polling agents and leaders on high alert. The move follows the party’s recent defeat in the Haryana Assembly elections, where concerns were raised regarding EVM batteries and discrepancies in Form 17C (a crucial document for vote verification).
Approximately 30,000 polling agents across both states have received training from the Congress to prevent irregularities. Training includes using a dedicated app to cross-verify Form 17C data, closely monitoring EVM batteries, and meticulously checking voter lists. Senior observers have also been put on alert to manage any post-election scenarios.
While the Election Commission dismissed Congress’s Haryana complaints as unfounded, the party is clearly taking a proactive approach in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, where close contests are anticipated. The party aims to ensure its polling agents are adequately prepared to monitor the electoral process effectively. The Congress hopes this heightened vigilance will prevent a repeat of the Haryana debacle, where the party suffered a significant defeat despite initial expectations of victory.
First Piper 