Assam Jatiya Parishad questions poll results after EC differences on SIR report
The opposition party alleged that the result, which brought the BJP-led NDA back to power for a third straight term with a sweeping majority in the state, was a "verdict of the EVM, and not the people".
The Assam Jatiya Parishad on Wednesday questioned the validity of the state assembly elections held in April after a newspaper report claimed there were internal differences within the Election Commission over several decisions taken in recent months.
The opposition party alleged that the result, which brought the BJP-led NDA back to power for a third straight term with a sweeping majority in the state, was a "verdict of the EVM, and not the people".
The party also demanded that the Election Commission publicly clarify the allegations and objections mentioned in the report. It called for reforms in the poll body and said the EVM-based voting system should be discontinued and paper ballots restored.
The AJP statement came after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over the last 10 months to decisions and orders concerning the SIR which, they said, were taken without their knowledge.
According to the report, their objections related to several key issues, including the inclusion of new names in electoral rolls, the deletion and later restoration of names, and control of voter databases and information technology systems.
AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan said in a statement, "After seeing this report, we are convinced that the result of the recently concluded Assam Assembly election was not the verdict of the people; it was the verdict of the EVM."
They said that if such disagreements and objections exist within the Election Commission itself over processes as basic as the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, it naturally raises questions about the transparency and credibility of the entire electoral process.
They added that complete transparency, accountability and public confidence must be ensured in decisions related to electoral rolls and the electoral process.
The party said the details revealed in the newspaper report were not merely an issue related to the internal functioning of the Election Commission, but one with wider implications for the credibility of the country’s democratic system.
In summary, the AJP sought a public explanation on every allegation and objection raised in the report, and renewed its demand for comprehensive reforms in the Election Commission, including a return to paper ballots.