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Digvijaya Singh Questions Election Commission’s Impartiality and Decisions
Digvijaya Singh is a Congress leader who criticized India’s Election Commission.
He said the poll body is acting like it supports the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Singh also said he does not trust the commission anymore.
He accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of corruption and challenged him to respond legally.
He said a group of political parties had asked to discuss electronic voting machines but did not receive an acknowledgement.
Singh also argued that eligible voters should not have their names removed unfairly.
A report said two election commissioners had objected to some decisions several times.
The Election Commission said all three commissioners had approved its decisions unanimously.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged that the Election Commission is functioning like a Bharatiya Janata Party organisation under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Singh said he has “absolutely no trust” in the Election Commission and accused Kumar of corruption, challenging him to take action.
The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times to decisions they said lacked their knowledge or approval.
Those objections reportedly involved voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, Form-6 changes, and access to electoral-roll data.
The Election Commission said decisions, including those on Special Intensive Revision, had the unanimous approval of all three commissioners.
- Who
- Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, and the Election Commission.
- What
- Singh alleged that the Election Commission is politically aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party and said he no longer trusts it; a report also detailed objections by two commissioners to several decisions.
- Where
- Singh spoke in Bhopal, while the allegations concern India’s Election Commission and electoral rolls.
- When
- Singh made the remarks on September 24; the reported objections occurred at least 14 times over the preceding 10 months.
- Why
- Singh said he was concerned about the commission’s impartiality, voter-list decisions, electronic voting machines, and the removal or inclusion of voter names.
Singh’s criticism
Election Commission’s position
Impartiality and trust
Singh’s criticism
Digvijaya Singh alleged that the Election Commission is functioning as a Bharatiya Janata Party organisation and said he has no trust in it.
Election Commission’s position
The Election Commission’s stated position is that its decisions are taken by the three-member body with the approval of all three commissioners.
Commissioner objections
Singh’s criticism
The Indian Express reported that Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times to decisions they said were made without their knowledge or approval.
Election Commission’s position
The Election Commission said decisions, including those related to Special Intensive Revision, were unanimous and approved by all three commissioners.
Voter-roll changes
Singh’s criticism
Singh said the commission must protect every eligible citizen’s voting rights and must not unlawfully remove names from electoral rolls.
Election Commission’s position
The Election Commission is conducting a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls; the article does not provide a detailed response to Singh’s specific voter-roll allegations.
Key facts
- Speaker
- Digvijaya Singh, senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister
- Chief Election Commissioner
- Gyanesh Kumar
- Reported objections
- At least 14 objections over 10 months by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi
- Issues cited
- Voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, Form-6 changes, and electoral-roll data access
- Election Commission’s response
- It said decisions, including those concerning Special Intensive Revision, were unanimously approved by all three commissioners
- Political-party memorandum
- Singh said leaders of 24 political parties submitted a memorandum on electronic voting machines and sought a meeting
- Location of remarks
- Bhopal
Quotes
Digvijaya Singh
Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister
“The Election Commission is an important pillar of any democracy and its job is to conduct elections impartially. But I, at least, have absolutely no trust in the Election Commission now.”
theprint.in
“When Seshan was the CEC, I was the chief minister (of Madhya Pradesh). We were scared of the Election Commission. Who is afraid of this man (Gyanesh Kumar) today?”
theprint.in
Sources
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