The Election Commission (EC) is like a referee in any game, and is expected to be neutral and ensure free and fair play. Today, in one of the world’s largest democracies, the credibility of even trusted institutions like the EC is under the scanner.
After Rahul Gandhi made “vote chori” allegations, the chorus has been getting louder. It is not just Delhi’s Opposition crying foul; in Maharashtra, too, voices have grown strident.
The Opposition parties in Maharashtra have levelled serious allegations about irregularities in the voters’ list. The charges include names missing, duplicate entries and sudden deletion.
Allegations against the poll body are not new. For ages, in almost every election, there have been some complaints about the voters’ list.
However, this time the tone is sharper and the claims are serious and more direct. Opposition leaders allege that outsiders control the EC’s website, raising serious concerns about data integrity and wondering whether the tampering (addition or deletion) of voters is done without any verification, allegedly to suit a political party.
Whether these charges are true or exaggerated, one thing is clear: the image of an independent institution like the EC has gone for a toss.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has countered that the Opposition is merely spreading a narrative because it lacks confidence about winning polls.
The Opposition attack is sharp and is now questioning why ruling party leaders and spokespersons are speaking on behalf of EC officials. Leaders are demanding that the commission directly respond to people’s concerns instead of political parties.
Fadnavis should know this well. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Opposition ran a focused campaign built around one theme that the BJP-led government and its allies were trying to change the Constitution.
Whether that charge was true or not, the narrative struck a chord with voters. The results were clear; instead of achieving its ambitious target of “Abki Baar 400 Paar”, the BJP’s numbers in the general elections dropped sharply.
The history of what narrative can do should serve as a reminder to political parties, and especially to the EC, which should not ignore this reality.
Former Election Commissioners like TN Seshan and JM Lyngdoh took firm decisions and regularly interacted with the media, prominent citizens and NGOs to address the allegations. This approach gave the institution a reputation as independent, assertive and fearless, which many feel is missing with the current EC.
The commission cannot afford to remain silent. The Opposition claims are beginning to take root in the public mind, creating the impression that something is indeed wrong.
The poll-conducting body has to act fast before doubt takes firm hold and becomes difficult to undo.
Whether an accusation has any merit or charges are baseless and coming through misinformation, the election office needs to respond to each and every allegation with facts, data and evidence. Along with this, the EC will need to issue clarification on how voters’ lists are prepared, verified and updated.
With the credibility of the institution at stake, it is time to revive its image and take a proactive approach, instead of issuing one-line press notes refuting the allegations or remaining silent.
For errors or manipulation in the voters’ list, the poll body alone cannot be blamed. Political parties are equally responsible. To some extent, voters, too, are accountable for this situation. The EC can ensure fair play only when both players (voters and political parties) follow the rules.
Even though most of the onus remains on the EC and political parties, voters, too, need to stay alert to suspicious activities in their polling area.
Take the example of the Booth Level Agent (BLA) system. Every political party is allowed to appoint BLAs for each booth. Their job is to inspect and verify the voters’ list, identify fake or duplicate names and raise objections before polling day. A BLA is not an EC official, but their job is to help voters with tasks like adding, deleting or correcting names in the list.
So, if discrepancies are from the Assembly elections held in 2024, one has to ask where these BLAs were then? Did they fail to spot errors, or did they observe the mess but not report it? Why did they not raise the red flag in time?
Take the example of Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). After the Assembly polls debacle, the party has held numerous meetings for BLAs and has been talking loudly about it for months. But has it actually begun the groundwork? How many discrepancies or fake names has it reported from the voters’ list of Mumbai? Or is it just holding meetings, issuing statements, while the voters’ list remains riddled with errors and the situation on the ground remains unchanged?
If that’s the case, then despite Raj Thackeray’s repeated instructions, party leaders and workers may be either inflating reports on paper or not taking their assignments seriously.
In both cases, it reflects badly on Raj and his party and exhibits how the problem runs deeper than just the EC.
At the end, it is a collective failure of accountability. Unless that message turns into real action, all talk and charges levelled about “vote chori” will remain just an issue without any action and solution.
If the situation remains unchanged, soon voters and citizens will start doubting the referee (the EC) and political parties, making even the cleanest match look fixed.
Sanjeev Shivadekar is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @SanjeevShivadek
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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.