New Delhi: Calls for greater clarity over the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls are now emerging from within the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha and a TDP leader have separately underlined the need to address concerns and uphold public trust in the electoral process.
Speaking on Friday, Paswan said the Election Commission should firmly place its stand before the public amid a political row over reports of differences within the poll panel.
Paswan said he was not defending a constitutional institution only because he is part of the government, but maintained that it is the responsibility of the Commission to clear doubts that have arisen among people.
“Let me make it clear that as part of the government, I do not intend to defend what is a constitutional body. I am also not much worried about the allegations made by the opposition, which will always take a stand that suits it politically,” the Hajipur MP told reporters.
Paswan said the Commission need not respond to Opposition leaders but should clarify its position to the public. “If the people start losing trust in the electoral system, that will not augur well for democracy and, therefore, I think the Election Commission must come out with its clarification more forcefully. It need not respond to what Rahul Gandhi and his associates are saying. But it must dispel misgivings in the minds of the people,” he said.
Kushwaha, another NDA ally and president of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, also weighed in on the controversy, saying differences of opinion over the SIR were natural and that matters relating to the exercise should be examined by those authorised to do so. He criticised the language used by the Opposition over the alleged objections raised by the two Election Commissioners.
At the same time, Kushwaha said the controversy had created confusion among the public and called for the Election Commission to clarify the actual position. His comments thus combined a defence of the possibility of differing views within the Commission with a call for greater clarity over the issue.
The TDP, another NDA constituent, has also stressed the importance of transparency. TDP Lok Sabha floor leader Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu said the SIR was “conducted in a transparent manner” in Andhra Pradesh, but added that the Election Commission was a constitutional institution entrusted with a crucial responsibility in a democracy.
“From the perspective of Andhra Pradesh, having closely observed the SIR exercise, I can say that the process was conducted in a transparent manner. Adequate opportunities and sufficient time were provided to every voter to participate and raise concerns,” he said.
“The exercise has been a success. Even the opposition has not been able to substantiate concerns regarding the process in Andhra Pradesh. At the same time, the Election Commission of India is a constitutional institution entrusted with a crucial responsibility in our democracy. Therefore, whenever questions are raised by anyone, providing appropriate clarification and maintaining transparency will only help strengthen public confidence in the institution,” he said.
The interventions are significant because they come from parties that remain part of the ruling alliance even as the BJP has mounted a stronger defence of the Election Commission and the SIR process. BJP leaders have rejected the Opposition’s allegations and defended the legality of the electoral-roll revision exercise.
The SIR, which began in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections, has subsequently been extended to other parts of the country in phases and has become a major point of contention between the ruling establishment and Opposition parties. The latest debate has widened from questions over the exercise itself to questions about decision-making within the constitutional body responsible for conducting elections.
For the NDA allies, however, the emphasis in their public statements has been on the Election Commission explaining its position and preventing doubts over the electoral process from affecting public confidence, rather than endorsing the Opposition’s allegations against the poll panel.
The remarks came after some news agency reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over a period of 10 months on decision and orders relating to electoral-roll processes. The report has triggered demands from Opposition parties for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections reflected a breakdown in decision-making, saying differing views and observations were a normal part of deliberations in a multi-member institution. It has maintained that the final decisions taken by the Commission, including those relating to the SIR, were unanimous.
Agencies
