CWC to meet on Sept 29 over Election Commission controversy, sources say

The Congress Working Committee will meet in New Delhi on September 29 to discuss the ongoing controversy over the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, following a report detailing internal objections by commissioners.

CWC to Discuss Election Commission Row

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet in New Delhi on September 29 to discuss the ongoing controversy surrounding the Election Commission of India and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, according to sources. The current political situation is also expected to figure in the deliberations.

The proposed meeting comes amid a political row following a report by The Indian Express claiming that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions and orders linked to electoral-roll procedures and the SIR exercise.

ECI's Stance on Internal Deliberations

The Election Commission has maintained that differences in views during internal deliberations are part of the normal functioning of a multi-member constitutional body. The poll panel has said that all final decisions, including those concerning SIR, were taken unanimously.

Former CEC Om Prakash Rawat Weighs In

On Decision-Making Process

Meanwhile, Former Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat has questioned the reported manner in which decisions were taken, saying the Commission's functioning requires decisions to be reached either through consensus or majority.

Speaking to ANI, Rawat said, “That is the Election Commission's system, where all three Commissioners give suggestions and contribute their views on how things should be done. That is standard procedure. However, when a decision is made, it must be by consensus or by a majority vote.”

“If two Commissioners are on one side, that forms the majority. Their objection is that while they expressed a different view, Gyanesh Kumar proceeded independently. That is the issue,” he added.

On Completed Elections

Rawat also said completed elections could not simply be cancelled retrospectively, stating, “No one can cancel an election once completed. What is done is done.”

On Action Against CEC Kumar

On questions surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the former CEC said formal constitutional and administrative procedures would have to be initiated before any action could be considered. “Someone has to initiate formal proceedings. If someone moves, then the subsequent steps will be seen,” he said.

On Changes to Voter Registration Form

Rawat also raised concerns over reported changes to Form 6, which is used for voter registration. He argued that the Election Commission did not have the authority to alter statutory requirements without the prescribed legal process. According to Rawat, the reported changes effectively required additional details from applicants beyond the existing requirements.

Political Reactions and ECI's Reiteration

The CWC meeting is expected to provide the Congress leadership an opportunity to deliberate on the party's response to the ECI controversy and the wider political situation. The development comes as Opposition parties have intensified their criticism of the poll panel, while the BJP has defended the ECI's functioning.

The Election Commission has reiterated that its official decisions have legal sanction and that internal observations and suggestions are part of its institutional checks and balances. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)