Pratibha Singh Accuses Election Commissioner of Undermining Democracy

Congress leader Pratibha Singh accuses the Chief Election Commissioner of undermining democracy through controversial electoral roll revisions, warning that millions of voters face the risk of being excluded from the democratic process.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) Working Committee member Pratibha Singh (File Photo/ANI)

Pratibha Singh Alleges Electoral Irregularities

All India Congress Committee (AICC) Working Committee member, former MP and former Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh on Wednesday accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of undermining democracy and alleged that changes made in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls could deprive over 13 crore voters of their voting rights. In a statement issued here, Singh said political parties and citizens across the country must remain vigilant against alleged vote theft and collectively protect the democratic process.

Concerns Over Election Commission Decisions

She alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner had taken unilateral decisions in connection with the SIR exercise despite dissent from two Election Commissioners, including changes to Form 6, which is used for applications for inclusion of names in electoral rolls. Singh described the alleged exclusion of a large number of voters from the electoral process as unfortunate and accused the Chief Election Commissioner of undermining not only the functioning of the Election Commission but also the Constitution and democracy. She said the country could no longer accept Gyanesh Kumar continuing in the post, alleging that his actions had eroded public confidence in the electoral process.

Call for Public Participation

The Congress leader also appealed to the people of Himachal Pradesh to participate in the INDIA bloc's 'Desh Bachao, Vote Bachao' mega rally scheduled to be held at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on November 1. Singh said the rally would bring together opposition parties and citizens to raise their voices against alleged electoral irregularities and protect voting rights. She expressed confidence that the rally would emerge as a mass movement against the BJP and called for maximum participation from the people of the state.

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