Are Attempts Being Made to Mislead Voters? Asserts CEC Gyanesh Kumar

New Delhi, Aug 17 (NationPress) The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar vehemently rejected allegations of partiality against the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, highlighting that “some individuals are attempting to mislead the voters” by creating confusion and undermining the integrity of both the electoral body and the voters.

Without directly naming any political party, the CEC subtly addressed the Opposition's accusations regarding the ECI's supposed collaboration with the ruling BJP. “When political maneuvers target the voters of India while pressuring the Election Commission, the Commission wishes to declare today that it stands firmly alongside all voters – whether they are poor, wealthy, elderly, women, youth, or belong to any religion – without discrimination,” stated Gyanesh Kumar at a press briefing in Delhi.

The CEC emphasized that the Commission is open to all political parties. “At the grassroots level, all voters, political parties, and booth-level officials are collaborating transparently to verify and sign lists, even providing video testimonies. It is concerning that these verified documents and testimonials are either not reaching the leaders of the same parties at the state or national level, or there are attempts to spread confusion by overlooking the ground realities,” he added.

Gyanesh Kumar provided data indicating that in Bihar alone, over 1.6 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from all recognized parties participated in drafting lists during the SIR process. “A total of 28,370 claims and objections have already been submitted by voters who turned 18 on July 1 or will reach that age by October 1,” he noted.

The CEC asserted that with over seven crore voters in Bihar involved, questioning the credibility of either the Election Commission or the voters is unfounded. He cautioned against irresponsible statements like “vote theft,” labeling them as an affront to the Constitution.

In response to claims of double voting and data misappropriation, Gyanesh Kumar reminded that in the Lok Sabha elections, “over one crore officials, 10 lakh booth-level agents, and 20 lakh polling agents of candidates” supervised the electoral process, making any malpractice highly unlikely.

He also condemned recent incidents where voter images were published in the media without their consent, terming it a violation of privacy.

The CEC indirectly referred to Rahul Gandhi, who, on August 7, presented a detailed report regarding the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in Karnataka, alleging that nearly one lakh votes were manipulated. Gandhi showcased voter photos along with their residential information.

Reaffirming the Commission’s constitutional duty, the CEC declared: “For the Election Commission, there is no distinction between opposition and ruling parties. All parties are treated equally before us.”