Many times EC has been partial to BJP
Pankaj Sharma
The Election Commission (EC) is one of the most respected institutions in India. Its impartiality is essential to ensure free and fair elections. It is unfortunate that in the past few years there have been several occasions when the nation witnessed thick clouds of doubts over the EC’s integrity. These clouds become darker when we find a leader of the ruling party declaring the poll dates for Karnataka even before the EC’s announcement. How could this happen?
The EC’s conduct even at the time of Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat was far from impartial. The timing for poll dates in both these states had raised several doubts. In 2012, the results of state elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat were announced on the same day. But last year the elections to these two states were scattered over weeks — the polling dates in Himachal preceding those in Gujarat.
The EC notification brings into force a Model Code of Conduct forbidding any new concession or project announcement by a ruling party as it might influence voters. So, while the Model Code of Conduct came into force in Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh, the EC delayed the notification for BJP-ruled Gujarat, giving ample time to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate new projects and announce new schemes.
One more indication of the EC’s partial behavior was slapping a notice on Congress president Rahul Gandhi for giving an interview to a TV channel a day before the second phase of polling in Gujarat. The EC’s “fairness” raised serious questions at that time: Did the EC react when in 2014, a “selfie” flaunting the lotus symbol outside a polling booth by BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi went viral on social media? Did it react when this time Mr Modi went on a “semi-roadshow” in an open car after casting his vote? Why is it that the EC, that never even mildly raises an eyebrow when Mr Modi flouts the “code of conduct”, was so prompt in objecting to Mr Gandhi’s interview and filing an FIR against the TV channel? Why the EC did not react when, in 2014, Mr Modi gave several interviews between different phases of polling?
The EC also ignored the TV interviews of BJP president Amit Shah and railway minister Piyush Goyal during the voting phases. But the bigger issue is the farce of stringing out polls over weeks and months. The EC may have a decent reputation for impartiality the world over, but it is also laughed at for its insistence on a lengthy poll schedule that defies logic and paralyses decision-making.The EC’s impartiality comes under serious doubt when it doesn’t pay attention to the complaints about malfunctioning EVMs.
In the past few years, the EC has lost its reputation as an autonomous constitutional body entrusted with ensuring fair election, and words like “puppet”, “completely shameless” and “spineless” are being used for it. It must try to re-establish its impartiality.
Former chief election commissioner T.N. Seshan awakened a sleepy institution to its own powers in the early 1990s. After that the EC had grown in stature as a neutral and impartial minder of the poll process. It had cleaned up many of the visible distortions. But the institutional integrity is not something that can be acquired and left unattended, it must be — and it must be seen to be — constantly reiterated and upheld.
The writer is an office-bearer of the Congress Party
It’s foolish to blame EC for poll defeats
Shivam Chhabra
The Election Commission is like a refree in a hockey match — he officiates from the beginning till the end, without participating in the game. He is the one who upholds the rules of the game and is objective in his decision-making on the field. Similarly, the Election Commission is doing its duty in an impartial manner.
It is unfortunate to note that the Opposition parties are questioning the integrity of the EC. I don’t understand as to why the Congress didn’t question the EC when it won in Punjab? Why the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) didn’t doubt its own victory in the Delhi Assembly elections?
I wish to remind all my political opponents that even in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, elections were conducted “impartially” by the EC. If the Opposition parties have the guts to question the objectivity of the EC over the election results of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Goa then they must also challenge the results of Punjab, Delhi and the byelections in UP and Bihar. I think it is baseless to question the EC and the electronic voting machines (EVM) for the downfall of the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the AAP among others. It is clearly the deeds of these political parties which made them lose. Blaming the state machinery for losses has become a fashion these days.
I feel, rather than casting aspersions on the EC and EVMs, the Opposition leaders must introspect so that they can find out the real reasons behind their defeat.
Unfortunately, the EVM is the new scapegoat for poor governance models. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal questioned the integrity of one of the election commissioners — O.P. Rawat — when 21 of his party MLAs were disqualified for holding offices of profit. He must understand that he made a mistake and will have to pay for it as per the directions laid down in the rulebook.
Then clection commissioner Nasim Zaidi was quick and persistent with the denial of any wrongdoing in the election process. The EVMs could not be hacked or manipulated, he averred time and again. In fact, a hackathon was organised by the EC wherein all political and non-political parties were invited to try and hack the EVM machines, but nobody could do that.
To raise unnecessary doubts in the minds of people, an AAP legislator organised a “live demo” of an “EVM look-alike gadget” claiming it to be an EVM!
It is common knowledge that electronic gadgets can be programmed to perform in a pre-determined way, but it doesn’t mean that EVMs will behave in the same manner because EVMs are technically secured and function under an elaborate administrative and security protocol.
A BJP spokesperson, while watching an English news channel, tweeted speculative dates of the upcoming Karnataka elections, and again the Opposition parties started taking a dig at the EC and the BJP. But in the end, the BJP leader’s speculation was found to be incorrect which, in a way, came as a blessing for him otherwise the Opposition would have again charged the EC with being partial towards the BJP.
Irrespective of all the allegations, I am confident that the EC will continue to work with utmost responsibility and integrity even when Opposition leaders raise doubts over its credibility for their vested interests.
The writer is a BJP spokesperson
