- Objections concerned electoral rolls, voter deletion, and digital systems.
BJP has responded to the political row over the Election Commission and its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, with MP Sambit Patra defending the poll panel and rejecting Opposition criticism. Patra accused Opposition parties of targeting constitutional institutions after defeats and said the Election Commission’s decisions were taken through consensus. His remarks came after an Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions concerning electoral rolls and poll panel functioning.
Patra Defends ECI
Patra said he was not speaking on behalf of the Election Commission, but referred to its statements and press notes while defending its decision-making process.
He argued that discussions among the three Election Commissioners were part of democratic functioning and rejected the Opposition’s suggestion that consultations indicated a lack of independence.
On allegations of “vote theft”, Patra cited West Bengal and said that among 20 Assembly constituencies where the highest numbers of votes were deleted, the BJP won six, while Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee won 13. He presented this as evidence against the Opposition’s allegations.
Also Read: ‘Vote Chori, Treason’: Opposition Demands Gyanesh Kumar’s Removal After Report Of ECI Dissent
SIR Row
The controversy intensified after The Indian Express reported that Sandhu and Joshi had recorded at least 14 formal objections during the previous 10 months. Their concerns included voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, changes to Form 6 and electoral-roll data.
According to the report, the two commissioners questioned decisions they said had been taken without their knowledge or approval. They also raised concerns about centralised access to voter databases and the ECI’s digital systems.
The findings triggered criticism from Opposition parties, which have questioned the SIR process and the role of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Election Commission has also rejected allegations of political bias, while the dispute remains contested.
The SIR exercise has become a major political issue, where deletions and appeals have drawn scrutiny. The Election Commission told the Supreme Court that more than 22 lakh of 27.16 lakh deleted voters had filed appeals seeking restoration.
Also Read: ‘Differing Views Are Normal Part Of Deliberation’: EC On SIR Row
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
