New Delhi [India], March 10: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Central government, accusing the Election Commission of being under the control of the government for an extended period. Sibal warned that if this situation persists, it would no longer be a functioning democracy, but rather a “sham.”
Speaking to ANI, Sibal stated, “The Election Commission has been in the hands of the government for a very long time. If this system continues and the Election Commission keeps lobbying for the government, then the results that will definitely come are in front of you… If this system continues, then it is not democracy but a sham… We have been suspicious for many years… What happens on the ground is known to everyone, but there is no one to listen.”
Meanwhile, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also emphasized the need for a discussion in Parliament regarding issues with the voter list. He highlighted that questions have been raised about the voter list in multiple states, including Maharashtra, where there were concerns about discrepancies in the black and white voter lists.
Gandhi added, “The entire opposition is just saying that there should be a discussion on the voter’s list.”
TMC’s Saugata Roy also voiced concerns about flaws in the voter list, particularly highlighting incidents in Haryana and West Bengal, where identical Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers appeared in the voter lists. Roy claimed that these issues were indicative of serious flaws in the voter registration process and demanded a revision of the entire voter list, especially ahead of the Bengal and Assam elections next year.
On March 6, a delegation from the Trinamool Congress had met with Election Commission officials in Kolkata to raise concerns over voters having the same EPIC numbers in different states.
However, the Election Commission clarified on March 2 that having identical EPIC numbers did not necessarily indicate the presence of duplicate or fake voters. The clarification followed growing concerns on social media and in media reports about the occurrence of identical EPIC numbers across different states.