
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Feb 4: A day before Delhi go to polls on Wednesday to elect its 70-member Assembly, the Election Commission of India on Tuesday responded to, what it called “repeated pressure tactics by political parties and candidates” to malign and question the authority of the poll body.
In a post on X the poll body said it had noted such attempts, but opted for “restraint, absorbing such outbursts with sagacity, stoicism” and said it would “not be swayed by such insinuations.” It also noted that “issues raised” ahead of the Delhi poll were investigated and acted on “by over 1.5 lakh officials, functioning within (an) established legal framework and robust process (to) ensure fair play.”
The Election Commission’s post follows comments by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and the former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal about its independence. The former, this morning, accused the EC of ignoring instances of the BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s family “openly flouting” the Model Code of Conduct.
Amidst the on-going controversy over the poll body’s alleged impartiality in conducting the elections, the AAP delegation raised yet another complaint of alleged intimidation of the voters by the BJP and the Delhi police. Ms Atishi and Mr Kejriwal met the ECI on Tuesday and complained of “holliganism” by the BJP supported by the Delhi police.
Addressing the media later, Mr Kejriwal said, “We told the EC how Delhi Police is being misused for violence and intimidation. Many people are scared, and it is possible that they may not come out to vote due to fear,” he said. The former Delhi CM raised some serious allegations that attempts were being made to manipulate voter turnout. “There are reports that people’s fingers are being marked with black ink in an attempt to disenfranchise them, and that money and threats are being used to influence voters. We raised these concerns with the EC,” he said.
In multiple posts on X on Monday, Atishi had said members of the BJP leader’s family had been seen “roaming” in Delhi’s Kalkaji area (which is her constituency) in violation of the Model Code. She also said she had filed a complaint with Delhi Police but, instead, was charged herself.
“The Election Commission is unbelievable. Ramesh Bidhuri’s family members are openly flouting the model code of conduct and there is no action. I complained to the police and the Election Commission, (but instead) they registered a case against me,” she said in her X post.
Ms Atishi, who is also facing a case of slapping a policeman, has made several complaints to make of Ramesh Bidhuri, who, in September 2023, used communal slurs to attack then-Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali, and is now the BJP’s pick to stop her from retaining her Kalkaji seat.
Mr Kejriwal has also accused the poll body and Delhi Police, which reports to the Union Home Ministry, have been told to support “hooliganism” against the ruling party and protect the BJP as it workers distribute liquor and money in exchange for votes in Wednesday’s election. “If anyone stops them, they will be charged under a case of obstructing government work,” he said.
Last week he wrote to the top election official in Delhi to flag alleged attacks against party workers in New Delhi, the constituency he has held since 2013. He claimed party workers were being assaulted by ‘goons’ linked to the BJP’s candidate for that seat – Parvesh Verma. And, on Monday, on what is supposed to be the final day of campaigning, Mr Kejriwal fired a particularly sharp barb at the EC, claiming the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, would be offered a lucrative post by the BJP after his impending retirement.
“… Rajiv Kumarji, who is Chief Election Commissioner, is retiring this month. What kind of post has been offered post-retirement? Governor, President? I request Rajivji… don’t destroy democracy.” Mr Kejriwal also took on the EC over its response to his comments about “poison” in Yamuna water supplied to Delhi by the BJP government in Haryana. On this topic the EC has sent two notices to the AAP leader, demanding he provide concrete proof of his allegations or risk a jail term.
Amidst the allegations that the Election Commission is being run by CEC Rajiv Kumar alone, the poll body on Tuesday said it was a three-member body which has collectively noted “repeated deliberate pressure tactics” to malign the poll authority. It said an impression was being created that the EC was a single member body.
In a post on X, the EC said it has decided to have constitutional restraint, absorbing such outbursts with sagacity, stoically and not to be swayed by such insinuations. Mr Kumar demits office on February 18 on attaining the age of 65 years. Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu are the other election commissioners.
“The 3-member Commission collectively noted repeated deliberate pressure tactics to malign ECI in Delhi Elections as if it is a single member body & decided to have constitutional restraint, absorbing such outbursts with sagacity, stoically & not to be swayed by such insinuations,” the poll authority said in a rare reaction.