Akhilesh Yadav accuses the EC of favouring the BJP and electoral malpractice. INDIA bloc MPs marched to the poll panel, citing a Supreme Court observation to demand the sacking of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and ensure free and fair elections.
Akhilesh Yadav Accuses EC of Favouring BJP
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the Election Commission was not functioning impartially and accused it of working in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the INDIA bloc MPs' march to the poll panel. Speaking before the march, Yadav said complaints against the Election Commission and the manner in which it functions were not new, alleging that the poll panel was acting in a manner that benefited the BJP.
"The Election Commission wants only those people to be considered Indian citizens who are members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," Yadav said. He further alleged that the Election Commission believed that only BJP members were entitled to cast votes.
Yadav also accused the BJP of electoral malpractice in several elections and cited incidents in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. "In Bengal, we saw how booths were looted using security forces. And they didn't just loot in Bengal; before that, they looted in Uttar Pradesh," he alleged.
Referring to elections in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav alleged that the BJP had "looted" the elections in Kundarki and Meerapur, as well as the Ayodhya election and the by-election in Ambedkar Nagar. "Therefore, the Election Commission is not impartial. The Election Commission is not functioning in accordance with the Constitution. Ever since the BJP came to power, the Election Commission has begun working on behalf of the BJP," he alleged.
Yadav also questioned whether the Election Commission had acted on complaints raised by the Samajwadi Party, citing the case of Nandlal Nishad, where he alleged bogus signatures were used to submit Form 7 applications to delete voters' names. "Can they point to even a single objection or a single complaint on which the Election Commission has taken action? The Samajwadi Party highlighted the case of Nandlal Nishad, where bogus signatures were used to delete voter names by getting Form 7 submitted—tell us if any action was taken against any responsible official?" he said.
'One Nation, One Election' a Ploy for Undisturbed Rule, Alleges Yadav
Taking aim at the BJP's 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, Yadav alleged that the objective was to avoid repeated electoral scrutiny. "So, what the BJP wants is not 'One Nation, One Election'—they want to commit electoral fraud just once and then rule for five years undisturbed, so they don't have to face scrutiny repeatedly—whether having to face checks in Bengal elections or any other state election," he said.
"They want to hold elections once, commit malpractice once, and that is why they are pushing the theory of 'One Nation, One Election.' The people of this country will never accept this," he added.
INDIA Bloc Leaders Cite Supreme Court Observation
Meanwhile, head of the INDIA bloc march to the Election Commission on Tuesday, RJD MP Manoj Jha and CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar stepped up criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing the Supreme Court's recent observation that it had not approved modifications made to Form 6. Jha said the Supreme Court's observation raised questions over the need for any further preparation and alleged that free and fair elections were not possible under Gyanesh Kumar's chairmanship.
“Yesterday, the Honourable Supreme Court said that we had not even approved Form 6. It also said that all unilateral decisions should be annulled. So, is there any preparation left?” Jha said. “No election can be fair under their (Gyanesh Kumar) chairmanship,” he added.
Jha said the Opposition MPs were heading to the Election Commission to raise concerns over the functioning of the poll panel and called for restoring what he described as the “grand form” of Indian democracy. “As we head towards the Election Commission today, the country has been reduced to a diminished state. We need to restore the grand form of our democracy,” he said.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made the observation about Form 6 while hearing a plea seeking suspension and prosecution of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. "Any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us. Let's be clear. When the record is produced, we would like to see who has modified," CJI Surya Kant observed during the hearing.
Opposition March to EC Headquarters
Opposition leaders and MPs are set to march towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI), in the national capital on Tuesday morning, as part of their ongoing protest over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and their demand for the sacking of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The march comes amid the Opposition's sustained campaign against alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls and its demand for greater transparency from the poll panel. Leaders of several INDIA bloc parties will participate in the march and raise their concerns before the Election Commission (EC).
The protest is part of a broader "Save Democracy" campaign announced by the Opposition, under which its leaders have been holding demonstrations and public programmes against the EC. The march to Nirvachan Sadan is expected to further intensify the political confrontation between the Opposition and the poll panel over electoral roll-related issues.
The Supreme Court's observation gives the INDIA bloc a boost ahead of the march. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
