Is the INDIA Bloc Right in Accusing CEC of Being 'BJP’s Mouthpiece'?

New Delhi, Aug 18 (NationPress) In a scathing critique of the Election Commission of India, leaders from the INDIA Bloc have charged Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar with forsaking constitutional neutrality and serving as a political spokesperson for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The opposition's accusations follow a controversial press conference held by the CEC on Sunday, which they argue was filled with evasions, biased rhetoric, and a glaring lack of response concerning serious electoral irregularities.

During a joint press conference at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, leaders from the INDIA Bloc, including Gaurav Gogoi, Mahua Moitra, Sanjay Singh, Manoj Jha, Ram Gopal Yadav, Tiruchi Siva, Arvind Sawant, and John Brittas, voiced substantial concern over what they termed as the “institutional collapse” of the Election Commission’s credibility.

Gogoi accused the CEC of evading crucial questions, including the Supreme Court’s August 14 order that rejected the Commission's efforts to withhold data on 65 lakh deleted voters in Bihar.

The leaders highlighted several unresolved matters: the unexplained addition of 70 lakh voters in Maharashtra within a mere five months, the deletion of 42,000 votes in New Delhi prior to the Assembly elections, and the refusal to recognize Aadhaar as valid identification. Allegations of voter fraud in Mahadevapura (Karnataka) made by Rahul Gandhi went uninvestigated, met instead with a demand for an affidavit—despite 18,000 affidavits submitted by the Samajwadi Party in 2022, which remain unaddressed.

Mahua Moitra criticized the CEC's actions as “a disgraceful display of puppetry,” urging him to reserve political attacks for his “masters.” Manoj Jha implied that the timing of the press conference was strategically selected to divert attention from the launch of the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, headed by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav.

The INDIA Bloc is reportedly contemplating an impeachment motion against the CEC, a move that, while symbolically significant, faces considerable constitutional challenges.

To remove the CEC requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament—an unlikely accomplishment given the ruling alliance's numerical advantage.

Nonetheless, the opposition asserts that the motion transcends procedural matters and represents a moral necessity.

“The Election Commission is not equivalent to the Constitution—it is a creation of it,” Jha stated. “And it must not be permitted to undermine the very document that grants it legitimacy.”

As the country approaches pivotal elections, the confrontation between the INDIA Bloc and the Election Commission has escalated from mere protest to a constitutional challenge. Whether the CEC can regain public confidence—or if the institution itself is now under siege—remains a critical question for Indian democracy.