New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday responded to the Election Commission of India, saying that the Congress Party is on the side of the Commission and stands for the strength and independence of the Commission. This comes after the Election Commission issued a stern letter to Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday, condemning his allegations regarding voter turnout data, calling it an aggression on the vitals of live conduct of elections and a deliberate attempt to spread confusion, and said it can have a negative impact on voter turnout.
Kharge wrote to the ECI, "The letter even though an open letter is clearly addressed to our alliance partners and not to the Commission. It is surprising that the Election Commission of India wanted to respond to this letter while ignoring several other complaints given directly to it. I have certain misgivings about the language of the letter, but I will not press on that issue as I understand the pressures they are working under. The letter on one hand says Commission respects citizens' right to ask questions and on the other hand threatens citizens in the form of an advise to exercise caution".
"I am happy that the Commission understands that it has the mandate to conduct smooth, free and fair elections under the constitution. However, the lack of urgency shown by the Commission in taking action against blatantly communal and casteist statements being made by the leaders of the ruling party that vitiates the electoral process seems puzzling," he added.
He stated that he was also puzzled by the need to write that the "Commission is not legally bound to publish any voter turnout data at aggregate level of a constituency or state", though it is factual. "I am sure many voters of our country would be surprised too. Many voters who are deeply interested in the elections would also like to see the absolute number of votes polled to be put out in the public domain by the Commission directly," he further stated.
"Finally, I would like to say I am disappointed that the Commission did not quote another line from the letter which said "it should be our collective endeavour to safeguard Democracy and protect the independent functioning of the ECI". To make it more clear, the Congress party is on the side of the Commission and stands for the strength and independence of the Commission. The officials of the Commission should now decide where they stand," he concluded.
EC Slams Kharge's Allegations Over Polling Data
The ECI on Friday denounced Kharge's letter to opposition leaders, accusing him of attempting to manipulate public perception under the guise of seeking clarification.
The Election Commission responded to Mallikarjun Kharge's allegations, refuting any claims of mismanagement or delay in releasing voter turnout data during the initial phases of the Lok Sabha elections.
In a detailed five-page statement accompanied by annexures, the Commission dismissed Kharge's assertions as baseless, lacking factual support, and indicative of a biased agenda aimed at spreading confusion. The Commission expressed concern over the potential negative impact of such remarks from the president of a national political party.
The Election Commission advised Mallikarjun Kharge to exercise caution and refrain from making public statements that could raise doubts about intentions.