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This is Election Commission. Not Election Agent of Any Party: Congress

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
  • May 23, 2024
  • 126

Citing the Election Commission's letter to its president Mallikarjun Kharge and its refusal to put polling booth-wise voting percentage data on its website, the Congress on Thursday said the actions of the constitutional body are condemnable and expose it.

Party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi also said that if an institution like the Election Commission leans towards the ruling party in this way, it means that democracy is in danger.

The Election Commission on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that "indiscriminate release" of polling station-wise voting percentage data and posting it on the website will create confusion among the electoral machinery, which is currently busy with the Lok Sabha elections.

The Commission said that the details of Form 17C giving the number of votes polled at a polling station cannot be made public and this may lead to confusion in the entire electoral system as it increases the possibility of tampering of images.

Also, the Election Commission on Wednesday slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition Congress and advised them to avoid campaigning on the basis of caste, community, language and religion in the Lok Sabha elections and said that We cannot allow harm to the socio-cultural environment of the country.

Senior advocate Singhvi, while talking to reporters on both these issues, said, "The Election Commission said that everyone has been instructed not to be communal. Despite our complaint, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister were not named in any document of the Election Commission. The Commission did not warn anyone nor did it impose any ban nor was any blame made."

He said, "The Election Commission wrote to the presidents of both the parties to tell their star campaigners not to violate the model code of conduct... All these things do not befit a high-level constitutional institution. This is against the constitutional responsibilities of the institution."

He said that this is the Election Commission and not the election agent of any party.

Singhvi claimed, "We are surprised that when a constitutional institution does not follow the Constitution and shows inclination towards power, then it should be understood that democracy is in danger."

According to the Congress leader, it is unfortunate that openly communal statements are made by BJP leaders and they are compared with the statements of Congress leaders.

He said, "It would have been better if the Election Commission provided polling station-wise data, but opposing it is unfortunate and worthy of condemnation."

Singhvi said that this exposes the Election Commission.