Challenging their criticism of it before and during the Lok Sabha elections, the Indian opposition bloc has turned its guns on the Parliamentary Election Commission on various issues, including EVMs.
When Akhilesh Yadavpresident of Samajwadi Festivalwho has 37 MPs in the Lok Sabha, said he would not trust the MVEs “even if I win all 80 seats” Uttar PradeshRJD's Manoj Jha referred to the popular TV serial 'Panchayat' and said, “Even the village head of Phulera in the serial has more credibility than the Election Commission.”
During the election period, the opposition had targeted the Election Commission for allegedly “faulty” voter lists and also raised questions about EVMs and delays in voter data. On the day of the results, Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced the verdict: loss of majority. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and significant gains for the INDIA bloc – “justification” of the “impartiality” of the polling panel.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Akhilesh said there were question marks over the conduct of the Election Commission. “When the Model Code of Ethics is in force, the Election Commission and the government are nice to some people… If these institutions are impartial, our democracy will be healthy and will look stronger in the world,” he said.
While calling for removing EVMs from the electoral process, he said, “I did not believe in EVMs in the past, I do not believe in them today, and I will not believe in them even if I win all 80 (Lok Sabha) seats (in UP).”
Monday, at Rajya SabhaRJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha cited a pre-election survey and said that “only 28% of respondents trust the General Election Commission.”
Member of the TMC Kalyan BanerjeeHe also took aim at the polling panel in his remarks Tuesday.
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