Opposition bats for electoral reforms in House
NEW DELHI: Backing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhis call for electoral reform, several Opposition MPs on Wednesday pushed for cleaner and more transparent systems. Their key demands included machine-readable voter lists, a reversal of the 45-day CCTV data wipe-out rule, greater access to EVMs, and an overhaul of what they described as laws that let election commissioners act with impunity. On the second day of the Lok Sabha debate on Electoral Reforms, Congress MP K. C. Venugopal accused the government of influencing the Election Commission and said the poll body was behaving like an election agent of the ruling BJP, buckling under its pressure. Venugopal pointed to several recent Commission decisions that, according to him, showed clear partisanship. In a digital era, he asked, why were machine-readable electoral rolls still not being created? He also reminded the House that a Supreme Court bench led by now-retired Justice K. M. Joseph had directed that, until Parliament passed a law on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, the selection panel must include the PM, the CJI, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. But when the government finally brought a Bill, it proposed a committee in which the Prime Minister would chair, joined by a Union minister chosen by him and the Leader of the Opposition. Parliament passed that version. Venugopal questioned why the CJI was excluded and sought an explanation from the law minister. Holding up a copy of the ECs 2004 SIR orders, he noted that the earlier guidelines gave six months for the exercise. What was the urgency that the current SIR process needs to be completed within just two months? he asked. From the Trinamool Congress, Satabdi Roy attacked the government for turning the once-respectful word sir into a Gabbar Singh-like fearful figure that amounts to torture for the voters. She declared that, however much the BJP shouts SIR, SIR, SIR, the people of Bengal would stand with madam, referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Questioning the aim of the special revision of electoral rolls in 12 states and UTs, she said, These people know nothing about West Bengal You may have won Bihar, but you cannot win West Bengal. DMK leader T M Selvaganapathi said the government was trying to control independent institutions, claiming the current SIR exercise was illegal and unconstitutional without Parliaments approval. SP MP Dimple Yadav called for a return to ballot papers and accused the EC of following government directions.
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