Elections 2019: Former President Pranab Mukherjee hails EC, says polls were conducted 'perfectly'

Elections 2019: "If democracy has succeeded, it is largely due to perfect conduct of elections by election commissioners starting from Sukumar Sen to the present election commissioners," Mukherjee said.

Elections 2019: Lauding the role of Election Commission in conducting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, former president Pranab Mukherjee said the institution "perfectly" managed the elections. (PTI)

Elections 2019: Lauding the role of Election Commission in conducting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, former president Pranab Mukherjee said the institution "perfectly" managed the elections. This comes at a time when the EC is under fire from opposition parties for being biased towards the BJP. "You cannot criticise them, it was a perfect conduct of elections," Mukherjee said. Speaking at a book launch event in New Delhi, Mukherjee said that right from the first election commissioner Sukumar Sen to the present election commissioners, the institution is working very well. He said all the three commissioners are appointed by the executive and they are doing their job well. "If democracy has succeeded, it is largely due to perfect conduct of elections by election commissioners starting from Sukumar Sen to the present election commissioners," Mukherjee was quoted as saying. His remarks come a day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission's "capitulation" before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is obvious and the poll watchdog is not feared and respected anymore. The EC has been criticised by the opposition parties for being allegedly biased towards the BJP. The opposition stepped up its criticism of the poll panel after Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner stating he will be recusing himself from EC meetings as his dissent was not being recorded on clearances given by the poll panel to the PM and BJP chief Amit Shah over alleged poll code violations. (With PTI inputs)