NDA allies break rank, demand transparency from Election Commission chief — ‘Dispel the doubts’

In contrast to the BJP’s strong defence of the Election Commission, three major NDA allies on Friday demanded transparency from the poll panel and its chief, Gyanesh Kumar, regarding their internal functioning.

In a rare show of independence, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) increased pressure on the Narendra Modi government, The Telegraph reported.

Until now, the Centre has largely remained quiet while the Opposition accused the poll body of rigging election outcomes.

The controversy stems from a Thursday report in The Indian Express, which stated that two election commissioners logged 14 objections to crucial SIR-related decisions over the past 10 months.

They also reportedly complained about being kept out of the loop, sparking allegations of unilateral action by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Meanwhile, the BJP has backed the commission, calling the reported internal disagreements a sign of “pure democracy”.

NDA leaders Chirag Paswan, Chandrababu Naidu, and Upendra Kushwaha—representing the Lok Janshakti Party, TDP, and RLM, respectively—stepped away from their usual pattern of supporting the Modi government’s controversial moves on issues such as delimitation, foreign funding, and Vande Mataram.

Chirag Paswan’s sharp intervention

Delivering the strongest critique, Union Food Processing Minister Paswan urged Gyanesh Kumar to personally clarify the commission’s position. He warned that unresolved doubts regarding the electoral process could erode public trust.

“If such questions are being raised about the Election Commission, which is an independent constitutional body, the responsibility lies with the CEC to present his stance clearly,” he told reporters in Patna.

Paswan added, “It is problematic if people begin to doubt the electoral process itself. The EC needs to present its stance, not to (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi but to the public. It must dispel the doubts in the minds of the people.”

These remarks follow closely on the heels of Paswan putting the Samrat Chaudhary-led BJP government in Bihar on the defensive over reports concerning the molestation of minor girls.

TDP and RLM demand transparency

The TDP, which is the NDA’s second-largest party after the BJP, also pressed the commission to clarify the situation.

Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu, the party’s Lok Sabha floor leader, noted that while the SIR exercise in Andhra Pradesh was carried out in a “transparent manner,” the commission remains a constitutional body reliant on public confidence for its credibility.

“Whenever questions are raised by anyone, providing appropriate clarification and maintaining transparency will only help strengthen public confidence in the institution,” he said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Kushwaha highlighted that the controversy has created “considerable confusion” among the public.

“This issue needs to be addressed. The Election Commission should immediately issue a clarification regarding the actual situation to clear up the confusion,” he posted on X.

Opposition & impeachment notice

While the NDA partners refrained from backing the Opposition’s claims that the commission rigged the elections to favour the BJP, The Telegraph said their vocal stance is likely to provide fresh political ammunition to government rivals.

On Thursday, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi claimed that elections were “stolen” under Kumar’s leadership. He urged the CEC to “turn approver,” issuing a warning that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister would eventually be held accountable for their alleged roles.

The Opposition is gearing up to introduce another impeachment motion in Parliament to seek Kumar’s removal as CEC.

The Cockroach Janta Party, known for leading the June-July Jantar Mantar paper-leak protests that led to the ouster of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, has warned of a nationwide agitation starting October 2 if Kumar does not resign by Saturday.

Election Commission’s Response

In an effort at damage control, the Election Commission denied any internal rift.

It maintained that differing opinions are a normal part of institutional discussions and asserted that all decisions, including those related to the SIR, were made “unanimously”.

However, this statement has failed to quell the controversy. Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi are yet to publicly back the poll panel’s claims of unanimous decision-making.