He said Panchkula is the heart of Haryana, a symbol of the state's identity and pride.
“New stunt of a vote-stealing government; conspiracy to murder democracy in Panchkula Municipal Corporation Elections 2026” – Rao Narendra Singh
Chandigarh: A press conference was held at the headquarters of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee in Chandigarh. Addressing the media, State President Rao Narendra Singh and Rajya Sabha MP and AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala spoke to journalists.
In his address, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee President Rao Narendra Singh said that the conspiracy of vote theft by the BJP government has been exposed. Earlier, such practices were carried out in different states across the country, and now the same disgraceful game is being repeated in the Panchkula Municipal Corporation elections. This blind hunger for power has no limits, no moral boundaries, and no sense of shame.
He further stated that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also raised the issue of vote theft, allegedly carried out with the collusion of the Election Commission, during a press conference in Delhi. He added that after nearly a month of studying the voter lists of Panchkula Municipal Corporation, the Haryana Congress has uncovered these irregularities, and there is a possibility that the scale of discrepancies could be even larger.
He said Panchkula is the heart of Haryana, a symbol of the state’s identity and pride. However, in the past 12 years of BJP rule, this prestigious city has been pushed to the brink of neglect and distress. The so-called “triple engine government” of the BJP has, in reality, become synonymous with “triple corruption.” The people of Panchkula are now determined to uproot this government.
Randeep Singh Surjewala stated that the BJP is fully aware that people have now understood their misdeeds and have turned against them. Therefore, once again, they have resorted to their old tactics—vote theft.
He said this is not merely an allegation by the Congress; it is based on data from the Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana. A detailed study of the voter list reveals that 8,543 voters in Panchkula Municipal Corporation are listed twice, resulting in a total of 17,086 duplicate entries.
An independent ward-wise cross-verification of voter lists across all 20 wards of the Municipal Corporation has brought this shocking truth to light. The total number of voters in Panchkula Municipal Corporation is approximately 2.8 lakh, and the actual extent of duplication could exceed 17,086, as this verification was conducted by citizens themselves within limited time and resources.
He further stated that a formal memorandum was submitted to the State Election Commission and the Returning Officer, along with a list of 17,086 duplicate votes. The memorandum is attached as Annexure A1, and the list of 8,543 duplicate voters is attached as Annexure A2. He added that such a large number of duplicate entries cannot be accidental. Local MLA Chander Mohan was also present during the submission of the memorandum.
Surjewala alleged that such large-scale irregularities could not have occurred without the active collusion of officials responsible for preparing, revising, and finalizing the voter list, along with the BJP government.
He stated that this is not an isolated incident, but another chapter in what he described as a rotten system established by the BJP across the country.
The entire voting process scheduled for 10 May 2026 is based on a voter list containing 17,086 duplicate entries—and possibly thousands more—placing the entire process under serious doubt.
He demanded that the complete voter list be immediately cleaned, revised, and purified. All duplicate entries must be identified and removed, and a corrected ward-wise voter list should be published in the public domain.
He also called for a time-bound and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances under which these duplicate entries were created, including scrutiny of all officials, the election machinery involved in preparing the voter list, and any BJP members who may have been complicit.
Based on the findings of the investigation, FIRs should be registered under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Municipal Corporation Act.
He concluded by stating that the Congress demands that the Municipal Corporation elections be conducted in a fair and transparent manner.
On this occasion, Pradeep Chaudhary and Jasveer Malour, ex-MLAs, Sanjay Chauhan, President DCC Panchkula, Randhir Singh Rana and Bhupender Boora, both Advocate, were also present.
