Jaipur, Sep 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has questioned the functioning of the Election Commission of India after a report revealed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections to several decisions taken within the poll panel.
Gehlot quoted a recent report that the two Election Commissioners recorded objections at least 14 times over the past 10 months, including concerns over voter registration, deletion of names from electoral rolls and the centralisation of access to the voter database.
Reacting to the development, Gehlot said the concerns raised by the two Election Commissioners vindicated the questions that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had been raising about the Election Commission.
“The entire country is aware of what is happening. There were concerns about the functioning of the Election Commission from the very beginning. Rahul Gandhi had repeatedly raised questions about the Election Commission, and now two of the Election Commissioners themselves have raised objections to decisions being taken within the Commission.” Gehlot said the issue was not merely about an individual but about the credibility and independence of a constitutional institution.
“If two members of the Election Commission are putting their objections on record and saying that important decisions were taken without their knowledge or approval, then this is a matter of serious concern. The country deserves to know how such decisions are being taken.” Gehlot also questioned the government's decision to change the law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners and exclude the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel.
“The independence of constitutional institutions is essential for democracy. When questions are being raised from within the Election Commission itself, these concerns cannot simply be ignored. There must be transparency and accountability.” He further said that public confidence in the electoral process was at stake.
“People, especially the younger generation, need to understand what is happening. Elections are the foundation of democracy. If people's confidence in the electoral process is weakened, it affects the credibility of the entire democratic system.” Gehlot maintained that the latest developments made it necessary for the functioning of the Election Commission to be examined transparently. “This is a much larger question about democracy and the future of the country.
The Election Commission must function independently, transparently and in accordance with the Constitution and the law." The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that its decisions were taken without the participation of the full Commission.
In a response issued on Wednesday, the poll panel said differing views and observations were a normal part of institutional deliberations and asserted that decisions taken over the past year, including those relating to electoral-roll revision and SIR, were unanimous decisions of the full Commission.
Source: IANS
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