Voter list backbone of democracy, why EC refusing to share it, asks Cong
The meeting was held after Lok Sabha LOP
Rahul Gandhi
's allegations last week of vote theft in five ways by the ruling BJP.
A joint press conference was held at the state Congress office following the meeting of the political affairs committee, which was addressed by Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha, state in-charge Harish Chaudhary, state PCC chief Jitu Patwari, and LOP Umang Singhar. Harish Chaudhary alleged that the
Election Commission of India
's (ECI) role is not impartial and they asked Rahul Gandhi for an affidavit to support his vote theft allegations only to dilute and divert the issue.
Eminent lawyer Vivek Tankha argued, "The voter list is the backbone of a democracy. It is the property of the country and the ECI says it cannot be shared with either the Congress party or even the Supreme Court. The EC is not for dispute but a regulator and it said the voter list cannot be given to the apex court."
Tankha said in the 2018 assembly elections, Congress approached the ECI with complaints of fake voters. "The EC at the time deleted 24 lakh names from the voter list.
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We want to cooperate but the ECI now does not want to accept our cooperation." Tankha said in 2018, Congress won the election with 40.89% votes in its favour against the BJP's 41.02% vote share.
"In 2023, our vote share remained at 40.45% while the BJP's escalated to 48.62%. The EC must share the voter list for us to at least compare how the BJP gained more than 8%," he said.
"Today the whole country wants to know whether the EC stands with the Constitution and democracy, or in favour of any one political party.
The job of the EC is to ensure public convenience, not to create difficulties for the citizens. When more than 300 MPs protest peacefully and are prevented from going to the EC, it is a worrying sign for democracy. And when an affidavit is sought from LOP Rahul Gandhi, it raises serious questions on the accountability of the EC," Tankha said.
State in-charge Harish Chaudhary said the Narendra Modi govt is continuously violating the constitutional rights of the citizens.
"Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is fighting a decisive battle to protect democracy and the Constitution. The apprehensions that were expressed earlier regarding the changes made in the selection process of the Chief Election Commissioner are proving to be true today. The Congress party is committed to protecting the rights of the common voter and is strongly carrying forward this struggle.
"
PCC Patwari said, "The issue of vote theft raised by Rahul Gandhi is not a question of political gain or loss, but a fight to save rights and democracy.
Not only Congress, the whole country is involved in this. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about a cashless economy and e-paperless economy, then why is the EC avoiding releasing the digital voter list? The EC should answer Rahul Gandhi's question, but BJP leaders come to defend it.
"
Patwari further said, "Ever since the vote theft has been exposed, the frightened EC has even shut down its website. The struggle against vote theft is not only an issue of the Congress, but of the entire country.
This is a fight to make our democracy immortal." Patwari claimed that the party will soon expose the vote bungling that happened in the 2023 assembly polls.
LOP Singhar said, "The EC claims that the vote is yours, voting is your right but the slogan of the BJP is 'Fake vote is ours, the govt of fake mandate is ours'." He alleged that the EC is deleting electoral data in just two months after elections, which is equivalent to a violation of the Constitution.
"Today the EC has become a puppet of the BJP."
After the Vote Nyay Satyagraha in Rewa, the state Congress will hold a Vote Chor Gaddi Chhor protest together with a tricolour rally in Gwalior on Thursday. The same will be held in Bhopal on Independence Day. From Aug 22 to Sept 7, the Vote Chor Gaddi Chhor rally will be held in the districts across the state.
From Sept 15 to Oct 15, the party will run a signature campaign at the district, block, and mandal levels against voting irregularities.
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