Udit Raj Accuses Election Commission of Bias Towards BJP
Congress leader Udit Raj criticizes the Election Commission for alleged bias, citing voter discrepancies and demanding accountability.
New Delhi, September 26 (Daily Kiran) : Congress leader Udit Raj has raised serious allegations against the Election Commission, claiming it operates like a unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His comments follow the Commission’s denial of any irregularities in Form-6 and assertions that decisions regarding the Systematic Voter’s Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) were made with the consensus of all three election commissioners.
Raj pointed to West Bengal as a troubling example, where he stated that 3.8 million voters had not undergone verification or “purification,” resulting in their exclusion from the electoral process. He noted that subsequent verification revealed that up to 93% of these voters were legitimate. Raj questioned how the Election Commission justifies disenfranchising these genuine voters.
He also highlighted issues in Bihar, where approximately 13.2 million voter records contained errors related to addresses and parental names, even after the purification process. Raj demanded clarification from the Election Commission regarding these discrepancies. Furthermore, he raised concerns about the Chief Electoral Officer in Goa, who allegedly faced obstacles in adding 97 voters to the list due to central-level procedural delays.
In Karnataka, Raj accused certain individuals linked to the BJP of having access to a website that facilitated the addition of voter names, a situation that was reportedly uncovered. He mentioned instances of individuals voting multiple times under different identities. Raj insisted that if the Election Commission believes the voter list is accurate, it should be made available online for public scrutiny.
Responding to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s dismissal of the SVEEP controversy as baseless, Raj argued that the Congress party has raised legitimate questions that the Election Commission must address.
Udit Raj also commented on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s response to a Pakistani journalist during the United Nations General Assembly. While he deemed Jaishankar’s reply appropriate, he questioned why similar responses were not given to claims made by former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding India-Pakistan tensions.
In response to BJP accusations that the Congress party is not fighting for the Constitution or democracy but rather to restore the Gandhi family to power, Raj defended the family’s legacy. He noted that Rahul Gandhi had the opportunity to become Prime Minister in 2009 but declined the position. He also referred to Sonia Gandhi’s role during Manmohan Singh’s premiership, asserting that the Gandhi family has served the nation.
Raj did not hold back in criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in a recent bhajan event, alleging that Modi came to power through deceit and manipulation, including the misuse of voter data and electronic voting machines. He argued that those who believe they have manipulated the electoral system to win would not concern themselves with criticism.
