Manish Tewari: EC acted as BJP's tool in Bengal polls, democracy at risk
Synopsis
Congress MP Manish Tewari has levelled a pointed charge: that the Election Commission of India ceased to be an independent body and functioned as a BJP instrument during the West Bengal elections. With victory margins reportedly exceeding the number of allegedly disenfranchised voters in several constituencies, the allegation adds a data-backed dimension to what is otherwise a charged political claim.
Key Takeaways
Congress MP Manish Tewari alleged on 7 May that the Election Commission of India acted as a "tool of the BJP " during West Bengal elections.
Tewari claimed that in several constituencies, the victory margin exceeded the number of voters allegedly prevented from voting through SIR .
He called the situation a "very dark phase for India's democracy " with "highly negative" consequences.
On Punjab, Tewari dismissed BJP's expansion prospects, citing the state's role in forcing the repeal of the farm laws .
Tewari urged that the two recent Punjab blast incidents not be politicised, calling for caution over Pakistan's conspiratorial mindset .
Congress MP Manish Tewari on Thursday, 7 May alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) functioned as a "tool of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)" during the West Bengal assembly elections, accusing the ruling party of misusing government machinery to influence the electoral outcome. Tewari made the remarks while speaking to news agency IANS in Chandigarh.
Key Allegations Against the Election Commission
Tewari alleged that the ECI — constitutionally mandated to be an independent and impartial body — abandoned that role during the Bengal polls. "The Election Commission, which is supposed to be an impartial institution, was working completely like a tool of the BJP. This is a very dark phase for India's democracy, and its consequences will be highly negative," he alleged.
The Congress leader pointed to specific electoral data to support his claims. "In many constituencies, the margin of victory is greater than the number of people who were allegedly prevented from casting their votes through SIR," he said, suggesting that voter suppression may have been a decisive factor in several seats.
On a Possible Congress-TMC Alliance in Bengal
Asked to assess whether a joint electoral front between the Indian National Congress (INC) and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) could have altered the results, Tewari said the outcome required "assessment and analysis." He stopped short of endorsing a formal alliance but acknowledged that the question of opposition consolidation in Bengal remained open for deliberation.
BJP's Prospects in Punjab: Tewari Pushes Back
Turning to Punjab, Tewari firmly rejected comparisons between the state and others where the BJP has expanded its political footprint. He argued that Punjab's social, cultural, and historical character is fundamentally at odds with the BJP's ideology. "The nature of Punjab does not match the ideology of the BJP. Punjabis have historically protected their land against invaders for centuries," he said.
He invoked the farmers' protest against the now-repealed farm laws as evidence of Punjab's political temperament. "Punjab is the same state that forced the withdrawal of the farm laws through protest. Therefore, comparisons with any other state are misplaced," Tewari added.
On Punjab Blasts and National Security
Responding to concerns over two recent blast incidents reported in Punjab and the broader law-and-order situation in the state, Tewari urged political restraint. He said national security must not be reduced to a partisan battleground. "India must remain cautious of Pakistan's conspiratorial mindset, and there should be no politics over national security issues," he affirmed. This comes amid heightened security concerns in the region following the reported incidents.
Point of View
It comes with a specific numerical argument, not just rhetoric. The claim that victory margins exceeded the count of allegedly disenfranchised voters deserves independent scrutiny rather than dismissal. At the same time, the Congress's own electoral footprint in Bengal has been marginal for years, which raises the question of whether this is principled institutional critique or an attempt to remain politically relevant in a state where the party has steadily lost ground to both the TMC and BJP. The ECI has not publicly responded to these allegations.
NationPress
10 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Manish Tewari allege about the Election Commission in West Bengal?
Congress MP Manish Tewari alleged that the Election Commission of India acted as a "tool of the BJP" during the West Bengal elections, claiming it failed to maintain impartiality and that government machinery was misused to influence electoral outcomes.
What is the SIR reference in Tewari's statement about Bengal?
Tewari referred to voters allegedly prevented from casting their votes through SIR (Summary Revision of electoral rolls), claiming that in several constituencies, the margin of victory was greater than the number of such disenfranchised voters — suggesting the suppression may have been electorally decisive.
Did Tewari say Congress and TMC should have contested Bengal elections together?
Tewari stopped short of endorsing a formal Congress-TMC alliance, saying the election results required "assessment and analysis." He did not explicitly advocate for a joint front but acknowledged the question was worth examining.
Why does Tewari say the BJP cannot expand in Punjab?
Tewari argued that Punjab's social and political character is fundamentally incompatible with the BJP's ideology, citing the state's history of resistance and its role in forcing the repeal of the farm laws through sustained protest.
What did Tewari say about the Punjab blast incidents?
Tewari urged that the two recently reported blast incidents in Punjab not be politicised, calling on all parties to avoid making national security a subject of political confrontation, and warning of Pakistan's "conspiratorial mindset."
