A day after three NDA constituents sought a clearer explanation from the Election Commission over objections raised within the poll panel on the voter list revision, BJP allies on Saturday rallied behind the panel, saying its latest statement has addressed the concerns they had raised.
Union minister Chirag Paswan, whose LJP (Ram Vilas) had on Friday said public faith in elections was at stake and called for the poll body to dispel misgivings, noted that the EC has now clarified its position on all key issues.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the EC’s clarification reaffirmed the “integrity and credibility” of constitutional institutions, while JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha accused the Opposition of spreading misconceptions about the poll body.
Quick answers to key questions
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a process initiated by the Election Commission to update electoral rolls and ensure accuracy in voter representation. It is crucial for maintaining public trust and integrity in the electoral process.
The Election Commission clarified that the decisions regarding the SIR process were made unanimously by all three Commissioners, addressing internal concerns and affirming the integrity of the process amidst rising misconceptions.
During the SIR, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit homes to collect documents from voters issued notices, minimizing the need for personal hearings, which will only occur in exceptional cases.
NDA allies expressed concerns about transparency to restore confidence in the electoral process after reports suggested internal disagreements within the Election Commission related to the SIR decisions.
Yes, the Election Commission’s decisions regarding the SIR have been upheld by the Supreme Court and were taken unanimously, reinforcing their legal validity and the public’s trust in the electoral process.
The remarks marked a change in tone among the NDA constituents after LJP (Ram Vilas), Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha had on Friday sought greater clarity from the Commission over the controversy.
Following a meeting of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on Saturday, the poll panel asserted that orders relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) had the unanimous approval of all three Commissioners.
It also said the letters sent by Sandhu and Joshi to the Cabinet Secretary concerned an officer on deputation and not policy or matters relating to the Commission’s IT division.
The EC announced several measures concerning its internal functioning and the SIR, including a review of ECINET by a committee with an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT, advance circulation of agendas for Commission meetings and doorstep collection of documents from voters issued notices.
Paswan, who had on Friday said he did not intend to “defend what is a constitutional body” and that the EC needed to clarify the matter more forcefully to retain public confidence, welcomed Saturday’s statement.
“It is my responsibility to bring to the fore any questions or concerns the public may have and to ensure they are clearly addressed. Indeed, we presented the public’s concerns regarding the SIR to the Election Commission with this very sense of responsibility,” he said.
“Today, the Election Commission has clarified its position on all key issues, point by point. Facts regarding the SIR process, the unanimity among the three Commissioners, and the meeting with the Cabinet Secretary have also been clearly presented. This clarity further strengthens public trust in democracy,” Paswan said.
Naidu, whose TDP had a day earlier said a clarification and greater transparency would help strengthen confidence in the constitutional institution, also backed the EC following Saturday’s statement.
“The unanimous clarification issued by the Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alongside Election Commissioners S. S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reaffirms the integrity and credibility of our constitutional institutions and puts to rest all the misconceptions surrounding it,” Naidu said.
He said decisions concerning the SIR were taken collectively and in accordance with established institutional protocols, and described attempts to undermine confidence in India’s democratic framework for “short-term political gains” as unfortunate.
JD(U)’s Jha said the poll body’s statement had proved that “misconceptions being spread regarding constitutional bodies are baseless”.
He accused the Opposition of spreading a “false notion” that there was no consensus within the Commission over the SIR and said official records had refuted such claims.
Jha also cited the EC’s decisions on doorstep collection of forms, special camps for the elderly, homeless and poor and online hearings, saying they demonstrated its commitment to impartiality and public convenience.
“Despite this, the dissemination of misinformation against a key constitutional body like the Election Commission is unfortunate, and the opposition ought to apologize to the nation for it,” he said.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde also targeted the Opposition, alleging that it questioned the EC and electronic voting machines when electoral verdicts went against it but remained silent when it won elections.
“If anything wrong has transpired, it will be thoroughly investigated,” Shinde said, adding that making provocative statements against constitutional institutions whenever a mandate went against the Opposition was “simply wrong”.
