In a surprising turn of events, the recent Haryana elections rendered all exit polls drastically incorrect. Major agencies had confidently projected a comfortable win for the Congress party; however, the BJP emerged victorious, securing its third consecutive term in power. This unexpected outcome has sparked discussions surrounding potential EVM tampering and has prompted various political leaders, including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, to call for a return to paper ballots.

Reddy's remarks echoed sentiments shared by the YSR Congress, which emphasized the need for traditional voting methods in light of the Haryana results. However, Central Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar addressed these concerns today, providing a firm rebuttal to allegations of electronic voting machine (EVM) misconduct.

Kumar attributed the confusion surrounding counting trends to the media's practice of reporting early trends based on exit polls. He stated that many media outlets are distorting facts by airing projections that align with their predictions even before official counting begins. “Counting starts at 8:30 AM, and early trends are typically available by 9:30 AM. Any reports released before that are fabricated,” he asserted.

Emphasizing the integrity of the voting process, Kumar concluded that EVMs are completely secure and free from manipulation. He expressed confidence in the system's reliability, stating that the opposition's attempts to question the efficacy of EVMs would be met with thorough explanations and clarifications.