Thursday, 20 March 2025
Thursday, 20 March 2025
Opposition parties led by the Congress on Tuesday demanded a detailed discussion in Parliament on the doubts that have arisen on the integrity of the electoral process after alleged discrepancies in voter lists, with Rahul Gandhi raising the issue in the Lok Sabha.
Speaking during Zero Hour in the lower house, Gandhi said that the voter lists 'are being questioned across the country' and the entire opposition has been demanding a discussion on the matter.
Earlier Tuesday, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik joined the Opposition chorus on fake voters in the Rajya Sabha along with the Trinamool Congress after their demand for a discussion on the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls was turned down. MPs of both the parties walked out of Rajya Sabha.
The opposition MPs raised slogans after Rajya Sabha deputy chairman of the House, Harivansh, said a dozen notices under Rule 267, which calls for setting aside the business of the day to take up discussions on urgent matters, have been rejected.
BJD MP Sasmit Patra told ANI, "The BJD, Congress and TMC MPS had given 267 notices for the adjournment of the discussions relating to the EPIC cards…Election Commission has already acknowledged that there is a serious issue rating to duplication of voter ID cards... This requires a proper discussion on the floor of the Rajya Sabha."
Since the start of the budget session on Monday, the House has seen repeated adjournments because of this voter list manipulation allegation.
Congress’s position
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi had said that reports of voter list manipulation appear before elections and it is very dangerous for democracy. She said the government should allow discussion on the issue in Parliament.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal had said that if this system continues, then it is not democracy but a "sham".
"The Election Commission has been in the hands of the government for a very long time... If democracy continues like this and the Election Commission keeps lobbying for the government, then the results that will definitely come are in front of you... If this system continues, then it is not democracy but a sham... We have been suspicious for many years... What happens on the ground is known to everyone, but there is no one to listen..." Sibal told ANI.
BJP’s response
But Bharatiya Janata Party MP Dinesh Sharma called the issue “hilarious” and criticised the Opposition, especially Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
"They know that they lost Maharashtra, they lost Haryana, they lost UP by-elections. They also know that due to their actions, they are going to lose Bengal too. So, they need some support. This is the pain right before their loss in Bengal….The state belongs to them, and the BJP is changing the voter list. This is hilarious. They are doing an injustice, and the reason is the BJP? I think Mamata Banerjee is in the last days of her rule in Bengal," Dinesh Sharma told ANI.
Trinamool’s demands
But the Trinamool has continued to raise the issue in the House.
Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee demanded action against the Election Commission (EC) and said that the poll body had 'failed' to conduct fair and transparent elections over the past few years.
Speaking during Zero Hour, he said Mamata Banerjee had first flagged the issue of numerous instances of 'duplicate' voter cards and the explanation given by the Election Commission was a clear breach of the Conduct of Election Rules itself.
"The Election Commission, all the time, says they have conducted transparent and fair elections. It is clear that there have been no transparent elections for the last few years. There was no fair election for the last few years, not at all," he said.
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy demanded a thorough revision of the voter lists, particularly ahead of the assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam scheduled next year.
"There are some serious flaws. This has been pointed out with respect to Maharashtra, which had inflated voter lists. This was pointed out in Haryana. They are now trying to jump into West Bengal and Assam where elections are due next year," Roy claimed.
A Trinamool delegation, including the party’s Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien, Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee and eight other parliamentarians from both the Houses, went to the Nirvachan Sadan in the evening to meet the CEC and other poll officials.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh demanded that the government and the Election Commission must come clear on the issue.
"Duplicate EPIC numbers are being issued. Fake voters are being made in West Bengal. In Delhi (assembly) polls, people from Haryana were made voters and they cast their votes," he alleged.
"The EC has made a mockery of the entire election process. It's an extremely serious matter of concern," the AAP MP told PTI in the Parliament complex.
Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav said the Election Commission should maintain 'impartiality' in the conduct of elections.
"Lakhs of (new) voters were added and deleted (in the voter list) in Maharashtra within four months after the Lok Sabha elections. The same thing happened in Delhi. The same thing happened in Uttar Pradesh in 2022," he alleged.
On March 2, ECI had clarified that having the same EPIC number does not mean there are duplicate or fake voters.
