New Delhi: The BJP has hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of the Election Commission and his remarks on anti-incumbency during the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi questioned Gandhi’s argument that anti-incumbency, a recurring feature of Indian elections, no longer appears to affect the BJP. Trivedi instead highlighted the Congress’s electoral record across several states and argued that the party has itself faced prolonged periods outside government.
Trivedi referred to Congress’s performance in states including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. He also pointed to the party’s reliance on alliances in some constituencies while discussing recent electoral contests.
Gandhi had criticised the Election Commission following a report alleging that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections during internal discussions on electoral roll related matters and the implementation of SIR.
Gandhi said public confidence in elections could be affected if questions surrounding the electoral process were not addressed. He also questioned the BJP’s repeated electoral victories and argued that anti-incumbency had historically affected governments across India.
Trivedi defended the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise and questioned the basis of reports about differences within the three member poll panel. He pointed out that the Election Commission takes decisions through its institutional process and argued that individual differences during deliberations do not necessarily mean that final decisions were not unanimous.
The Election Commission has also maintained that decisions concerning SIR were unanimous. According to the clarification, the three commissioners may have different views during internal deliberations, but the decisions eventually taken by the Commission were approved unanimously.
The dispute has added another layer to the broader political confrontation over electoral roll revisions. The Congress has raised concerns about voter deletions and the functioning of the Election Commission, while the BJP has defended the poll panel and rejected allegations of wrongdoing.
The debate is continuing as political parties scrutinise the SIR process and its implications for electoral rolls across states.
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