‘Permanent blot’: Cong slams EC’s Kharge response as Opposition moves poll panel over voter data, MCC ‘violations’

Kharge had written to INDIA bloc leaders four days back over the “delay” in releasing the data. In an unusually strong response Friday, the EC called his charges “blatant inaccuracies” that can have “a negative impact on voter participation”.

(X/@kharge)

A delegation including senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, SP’s Javed Ali, DMK’s T. R. Baalu and CPI’s Binoy Viswam visited the EC office in New Delhi Friday. Singhvi told reporters after submitting the letter: “We all spent almost 45 minutes to one hour. Broadly, two major issues were raised.”

The letter said: “Till date, the Commission has not provided any proper or official clarification on the above-mentioned delay or the reported variance in the voter data…. the Commission should have not only released the data per Parliamentary Constituency (and respective Assembly Constituencies) but it should have also released the voter turnout data in each polling station”.

It also flagged the “Prime Minister’s repeated violation of Model Code of Conduct”, saying: “The blatant nature of these violations by Shri Narendra Modi constitutes a direct challenge to this Hon’ble Commission and if left unchecked will leave a deep impact on the democratic fabric of the nation.”

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram slammed the poll panel for its response to Kharge. “There is much that ECI has done and has not done for which it deserves to be criticised. When RBI, C&AG, Finance Commission and other bodies can be criticised, why does ECI think it should not be criticised. Let Parliament meet and let there be a full discussion on the omissions and commissions of the ECI, and all political parties will share their experiences contesting elections under the current ECI. I have closely observed the ECI since the days of the redoubtable T N Seshan and I have many stories to share. Even T N Seshan was criticised. Why should the present three-member take offence? Mr Mallikarjun Kharge had raised valid points in his letter. ECI may refute them, but why take exception to the letter,” he posted on X.

Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said: “The response of the EC to the issues raised by the Congress president in his letter to the INDIA parties is simply beyond description… The EC is a Constitutional body entrusted with the responsibility of being an impartial body that ensures, and is seen to ensure, a level-playing field to all political parties. Both the content and intent of the letter will be a permanent blot on the reputation of an institution that can boast of luminaries like Sukumar Sen, TN Seshan, JM Lyngdoh and others.”.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi posted on X: “Now ECI is issuing threats…. this kind of a letter clearly is partisan, unbecoming and seems like was drafted by some political person rather than an autonomous body!