New Delhi: Three BJP allies — LJP (Ram Vilas), TDP and RLM — on Friday sought a clearer explanation from the Election Commission regarding concerns raised by two Election Commissioners over the voter list revision, with Union Minister Chirag Paswan warning that public faith in elections was at stake.
Paswan, who heads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), said he was neither speaking for the poll panel nor endorsing the Opposition’s allegations. But the questions now before the public required a clearer response from the Commission, he said.
Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief Upendra Kushwaha also called for an immediate clarification, while Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) Lok Sabha floor leader Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu said transparency would help strengthen confidence in the constitutional institution.
Their remarks followed a report published by The Indian Express, which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
The objections covered changes to the statutory voter registration Form 6, the handling of additions and deletions from electoral rolls, and centralised control over the electoral roll database.
The report has prompted Opposition demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and the halting of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“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,” Paswan told reporters.
“If 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.
TDP’s Devarayalu said that while SIR was conducted transparently in Andhra Pradesh, a clarification from the Election Commission would be beneficial.
“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.
RLM’s Kushwaha, a Rajya Sabha MP, said the controversy had caused confusion among people. Tagging the Election Commission in an X post, he wrote, “The controversy regarding the SIR has created a situation of significant confusion among the public. The matter needs to be addressed. The Election Commission should immediately issue a clarification regarding the actual situation to clear up this confusion.”
The Election Commission on Wednesday asserted that differing views among its members were a normal part of deliberation and that its final decisions, including those relating to the SIR, had been unanimous.
The poll panel said its official orders and directions carried legal sanction and that the two Election Commissioners’ suggestions were aimed at improving electoral processes. Neither Sandhu nor Joshi has publicly spoken about the objections attributed to them.
The ruling BJP, meanwhile, has played down the differences within the commission, maintaining that the exchange of views during official deliberations reflected “pure democracy”.
