Congress Accuses Election Commission of Being ‘Complicit’ in Voter List Manipulation
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Synopsis
The Congress party has made serious allegations against the Election Commission of India, claiming it is complicit in manipulating voter lists. The party is pursuing various legal and political measures to address these concerns. An eight-member committee has been formed to ensure fair electoral conduct.
Key Takeaways
- Congress alleges ECI's complicity in voter list manipulation.
- Multiple voters sharing the same identification number raises concerns.
- Eight-member committee formed to monitor ECI's actions.
- Claims of significant irregularities in Maharashtra's voter lists.
- Election Commission's silence perceived as complicity.
New Delhi, March 3 (NationPress) The Congress party has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of being "complicit" in the manipulation of voter lists, emphasizing that it is actively seeking a solution through legal, political, legislative, and other avenues.
A coalition of senior Congress leaders expressed alarm over the ECI’s "silence" regarding the issue of multiple voters sharing the same identification number. They insisted that this situation is too critical to overlook, as it threatens the very foundation of the country’s electoral democracy.
“This represents a serious threat to the essence of India as an electoral democracy. This transcends political parties and their agendas. Babasaheb Ambedkar advocated for the establishment of an independent Election Commission to prevent executive interference in elections. The Congress will not allow this matter to be brushed aside and is actively pursuing remedies through various methods,” stated the Congress' Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE) in a press release.
This historic party has set up an eight-member committee to oversee the conduct of free and fair elections by the ECI. The group includes notable leaders such as Ajay Maken, Digvijaya Singh, Abhishek Singhvi, Paveen Chakravarty, Pawan Khera, Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Nitin Raut, and Vamshi Chand Reddy.
The committee accused the ECI of being "complicit" in the manipulation of voter lists, citing alarming developments concerning the matter.
“The same voter ID number is being assigned to multiple individuals, both within the same constituency and across different states. This is absolutely shocking. A unique voter ID for each Indian citizen is a fundamental requirement for a clean voter list. Having multiple voters with the same ID number is as absurd as multiple vehicles sharing the same registration number. Such occurrences are unheard of in any electoral democracy,” the committee asserted.
The Congress party also highlighted what it called "huge irregularities and abnormalities" in voter lists during the assembly elections in Maharashtra.
“It is both a logical and statistical absurdity that the Election Commission registered more new net voters (40 lakh) in just five months between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections than it did in the entire five-year duration between 2019 and 2024 (32 lakh),” they remarked. In December 2024, the Congress pointed out significant alleged irregularities in the voter lists for the Maharashtra 2024 Vidhan Sabha election.
“This was substantiated through reports from the ground in several constituencies, revealing that thousands of voters were added to the rolls from a single building or were brought in from other states. Furthermore, it appears that most of these newly registered voters only cast ballots for the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra, thereby skewing the outcome in their favor,” the statement added.
“The Election Commission’s persistent silence has only strengthened the perception of its complicity in the manipulation of voter lists. When confronted with evidence of multiple voters sharing the same ID number, the ECI initially claimed that a voter ID number might be identical across states but would be unique to a specific state,” the leaders noted.
“However, this turned out to be a blatant falsehood, as there are instances of the same ID number being used by several voters within the same state and constituency. After this was revealed, there has been a deafening silence,” they concluded.
The Congress leaders further contended that it is common knowledge that an individual legally migrating to any state must possess a unique voter ID number nationwide. “The ECI cannot feign ignorance or incompetence in this regard. This is a deliberate act of voter list manipulation to assist the ruling party and undermine the principle of free and fair elections,” they stated.
“The cover has been lifted. It is evident that the ruling BJP either wins or attempts to win elections by manipulating voter lists in collusion with the Election Commission. This is why the process of appointing election commissioners is so crucial to the Narendra Modi government, which has disregarded a Supreme Court ruling aimed at establishing a balanced committee for such appointments,” they concluded.
