INDIA'S ELECTION PANEL FACES NEUTRALITY TEST

Stonewalling, missing records, and a flawed review spark opposition's 'vote stealing' charge

- BY SWATI CHATURVEDI | Special to Gulf News

If you believe Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in India, Marvel's fictional villain Thanos is a bonafide voter eligible to vote in the Bihar elections.

Incredible, but on cursory examination true, as Gandhi shared a Thanos voter ID on social media.

What gives these allegations against the Election Commission (EC) an air of credibility is its absolute stonewalling and refusal to share information. After claiming in writing to the Supreme Court that the Special Intensive Review (SIR) being carried out in Bihar — which has removed an incredible 6.5 million voters from the state’s voter rolls — was implemented after an independent appraisal, Right to Information activist Anjali Bhardwaj sought information. The EC simply refused to share any such appraisal.

Can a constitutional body mandated to umpire and conduct elections in the world’s largest democracy simply block all information — or worse, use opaque consultation — to carry out such fundamental and widespread deletions?

What made it worse was the combative press conference held by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who seemed unable to answer reporters’ questions and took to insulting opposition leaders in an unedifying first for a supposedly apolitical official.