As Poll Body Chief Comes Under Fire, 3 BJP Allies Call For Clarification

After Union Minister and LJP chief Chirag Paswan called on the Election Commission to clarify the allegations against the institution, at least two more BJP allies in the NDA have spoken out.

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.

That makes it three NDA partners calling for clarifications from the poll panel that has come under Opposition fire after the damning report in The Indian Express.

The 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.

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.

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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.

Paswan 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.

"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.

Congress protest against Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi on Friday. PTI Photo

TDP's Devarayalu said that while SIR was conducted transparently in Andhra Pradesh, a clarification from the Election Commission would be beneficial.

"The exercise (SIR) 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."

Responding to The Indian Express report, the poll body had said all decisions taken by it in the last one year were unanimous and that "differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution."