The political battle between the opposition INDIA bloc and the Election Commission of India (ECI) has intensified. On Monday, top leaders from Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, and Trinamool Congress hit out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the ongoing ‘vote theft’ controversy and the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The INDIA bloc held a press conference at New Delhi’s Constitution Club, questioning the credibility of the Election Commission. They accused the poll body of working under pressure and ignoring the genuine concerns of opposition parties.
CEC Defends EC, Calls Out “Misinformation”
The fresh opposition attack came a day after CEC Gyanesh Kumar held a press briefing on Sunday. The CEC dismissed the allegations of “vote theft” and strongly defended the Election Commission.
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“When politics is being done by targeting the voters of India by keeping a gun on the shoulder of the Election Commission, today the Election Commission wants to make it clear to everyone that it fearlessly stood like a rock with all the voters of all sections and all religions including the poor, rich, elderly, women, youth without any discrimination,” Kumar said.
He accused opposition parties of spreading “lies and misinformation” about the EC’s functioning.
Opposition Accuses EC of “Dereliction of Duty”
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi alleged that the EC was “in the hands of officers who are taking sides” and not acting on complaints made by the opposition.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said the Commission had ignored West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s concerns on duplicate voter cards. She demanded strict action against “past ECs for fraudulent voter lists” and even called for the “dissolution of the Lok Sabha immediately”.
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The INDIA bloc also hinted at moving an impeachment motion against Gyanesh Kumar. Several leaders claimed that the CEC had “lost its moral right” to remain in office.
CPM leader John Brittas alleged that “CEC has declared war on opposition parties and the Election Commission has become the B-team of the government”.
Bihar SIRExercise Sparks New Flashpoint
The voter list revision in Bihar has also triggered a major clash. CEC Kumar had assured that the Special Intensive Revision would be “successful”. But opposition leaders described the exercise as a “conspiracy” and alleged it was being rushed without transparency.
DMK’s Tiruchi Siva questioned why the ruling party was avoiding a debate on the matter in Parliament. The monsoon session saw multiple adjournments after opposition protests over the Bihar SIR issue.
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