After his humiliating defeat in Theni, Tamil Nadu Congress candidate EVKS Elangovan has put the blame for his loss on electronic voting machines (EVMs), Election Commission of India (EC) and money power.  

Addressing reporters on Sunday at the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) headquarters in Sathyamoorthy Bhavan, Chennai, Elangovan said that he had proof of wrongdoings and will soon approach court with all the necessary evidence. The Congress veteran lost to Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s son P Raveendranath Kumar, a political newbie. Elangovan is the only Congress candidate in the state to lose the polls. While Raveendranath polled 5,04,813 votes, Elangovan could manage only 4,28,120 votes in Theni.

As per reports, Elangovan said that his loss was an artificially created one and that he lost not because people did not vote for him, but because of the collusion between the EC and the ruling party in Tamil Nadu. Accusing the EC of subverting the process, Elangovan cited instances when EVMs were brought to Theni from Coimbatore, Tiruvallur and Madurai Lok Sabha constituencies.

Expressing his heartfelt thanks to the 4.5 lakh voters who voted for him, Elangovan accused the EC of indulging in wrongdoings in Theni. “I have some evidence for that and am waiting for more proof… I request 100% counting of all VVPATs in Theni constituency,” he said.

Brushing away reports of Congress President Rahul Gandhi stepping down after the poll debacle, Elangovan said that it is not possible to separate Congress party from Nehru’s family. “Rahul Gandhi worked very well in this election. He worked harder than Modi for this election. In his leadership, Congress will again win in India,” he said.

Theni witnessed a high profile contest in the Lok Sabha elections with O Raveendranath Kumar contesting on an AIADMK ticket and EVKS Elangovan contesting on behalf of the DMK alliance. Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam’s Thanga Tamilselvan contested as an Independent in the seat and polled more than a lakh votes.