ITANAGAR, OCT 4:
The BJP Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday defended the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, terming allegations raised by the Congress and other opposition parties misleading and politically motivated.
Addressing a press briefing here, BJP Arunachal Pradesh spokesperson and MLA Topin Ete, along with State Secretary and SIR co-in-charge Joram Tat, said allegations against the ECI should be backed by facts and examined within the constitutional and legal framework governing elections.
Ete said the ECI derives its authority from Article 324 of the Constitution and functions under established statutory provisions and procedures. He said differences in opinion, technical suggestions and internal deliberations among Election Commissioners are normal features of a multi-member constitutional body and should not be portrayed as institutional failure.
On SIR, Ete said periodic revision of electoral rolls was necessary to identify discrepancies and maintain accurate voter lists. He compared the exercise to cleaning a water tank, saying accumulated discrepancies need to be addressed to keep the electoral system reliable.
He also clarified that eligible citizens whose names are missing from electoral rolls can apply for inclusion through the prescribed legal procedure.
Highlighting the role of political parties, Ete said Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by parties, including the BJP and Congress, have an established mechanism to scrutinise electoral rolls and raise objections. He said coordination between BLAs and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) provides an additional mechanism for identifying discrepancies and monitoring the revision process.
Responding to allegations of mass deletion of genuine voters, Ete said changes in electoral rolls should be viewed in their proper context. Referring to Arunachal Pradesh, he said such changes could include names of deceased persons, those who had permanently shifted, untraceable individuals and cases where enumeration had not been completed. He maintained that such changes should not automatically be construed as deletion of genuine voters.
Rejecting allegations of ECI bias in favour of the BJP, Ete referred to electoral victories by opposition parties and alliances in states including Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand. He questioned how opposition parties could win elections if the electoral system was inherently tilted in favour of the BJP.
He also referred to the SIR exercise in Kerala, claiming that some senior Congress leaders had acknowledged its utility in identifying duplicate and doubtful voter entries.
Ete criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for questioning the credibility of the electoral process and said serious allegations against constitutional institutions must be supported by credible evidence. Referring to earlier allegations concerning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), he said political parties should substantiate claims of hacking or tampering instead of repeatedly casting doubt on electoral institutions.
He urged the Congress to introspect over its electoral setbacks instead of questioning the credibility of elections without sufficient evidence.
The BJP leaders called for fact-based political discourse, adherence to legal procedures and responsible participation in the electoral process, saying the credibility of democratic institutions required transparency, cooperation and respect for constitutional institutions.
