Saini meets PM as govt formation in Haryana picks pace Cong demands probe into EVM 'discrepancies'

    New Delhi/Chandigarh, Oct 9 (PTI) Efforts began on Wednesday for government formation in Haryana with Nayab Singh Saini meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders in Delhi ahead of his likely swearing-in as the head of the new dispensation in the state following the party's win in the assembly polls.
    The BJP had indicated during the elections that Saini, who replaced Manohar Lal Khattar in March and hails from the Other Backward Classes, will be its choice for the top post if it wins.
    Meanwhile, the Congress Wednesday demanded a thorough probe into "discrepancies" found in some Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the counting of votes in Haryana and sought that such EVMs should be sealed and secured pending the inquiry.
    A delegation of top Congress leaders comprising former chief ministers Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Ashok Gehlot and AICC leaders K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken and Pawan Khera, besides Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan, met with top Election Commission officials here and handed over a memorandum along with specific complaints from various constituencies in Haryana.
    The Congress, after its defeat in Haryana, was accused by several opposition INDIA bloc parties of ignoring them that, they said, led to the loss.
    They said this attitude should not be repeated in the future polls.
    In his first reaction after the defeat in Haryana, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the party was analysing the "unexpected" results.
    Speaking to reporters after the meeting the prime minister, Saini credited Modi's policies for the party's success.
    He also met Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP president J P Nadda.
    The swearing-in is likely to take place after Dussehra, sources said.
    Saini said psephologists might have declared the Congress as the favourite to win the polls but he always insisted that people will put their trust in the BJP due to its government's policies.
    To a question about the Congress raising doubts on EVMs, he said the opposition party has been building up a storm of lies.
    Modi said on X that he congratulated Saini on the party's historic win and expressed confidence that the role of Haryana will become more important in the resolve of building 'viksit Bharat'.
    Bucking anti-incumbency, the ruling BJP pulled off a hat-trick of wins in Haryana to retain power and halt Congress' comeback attempt. The results were announced Tuesday.
    While the BJP ended up with its best-ever haul of 48 seats, 11 more than the Congress, parties like the JJP and the AAP were decimated and the INLD managed to win just two seats.
    With the party set to form its government, two Independent MLAs - Congress rebel Rajesh Joon and BJP rebel Devendra Kadian - announced their support to it. They met BJP leaders, including the party's Haryana state president Mohan Lal Badoli, to convey their support.
    Another Independent MLA and industrialist Savitri Jindal met Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP's in-charge for the polls in the state, and will be supporting the party, its leaders said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)