'Samik Bhattacharya openly acknowledged CEC's support to BJP': Congress' Motha Rohit
Telangana Congress leader Motha Rohit accuses BJP of exposing alignment with CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid the SIR controversy.
In a sharp political escalation, Telangana Congress leader Motha Rohit has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of inadvertently exposing its alleged alliance with the Election Commission. The controversy erupted following remarks made by West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya regarding Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The Padma Bhushan Controversy
The friction stems from Bhattacharya's recent praise for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive. Bhattacharya went as far as to suggest that the CEC deserves the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian awards, for his role in the electoral roll revision process.
Reacting to these comments, Motha Rohit alleged that the BJP leader has openly admitted to the CEC's bias. "Bengal's BJP state president, Samik Bhattacharya, has openly acknowledged CEC Gyanesh Kumar's support to the BJP," Rohit told ANI. He claimed that the BJP's praise serves as an admission of the political alignment between the ruling party and the poll panel.
Allegations of Voter Manipulation
The Congress leader leveled serious accusations regarding the integrity of the SIR exercise. Rohit alleged that the process is being manipulated to benefit the BJP through two primary methods:
- Deletion of eligible voters: Removing legitimate citizens from the electoral rolls.
- Addition of fake voters: Inserting fraudulent names to bolster BJP support.
"Now look at the hypocrisy of the BJP leaders. They are openly acknowledging what Mr Gyanesh Kumar has been doing for them," Rohit alleged, intensifying the call for accountability.
Demands for Judicial Intervention
Taking his protest a step further, Motha Rohit has called upon the highest court in the land to intervene. He urged the Supreme Court of India to take suo motu cognisance of the situation and demanded immediate legal action against the CEC.
The BJP's Defense of the CEC
On the other side of the debate, Samik Bhattacharya has stood firmly by the Election Commission. Defending Kumar against opposition criticism, Bhattacharya highlighted the peaceful conduct of elections and the measures taken during the roll revision.
Bhattacharya specifically noted that the CEC has taken steps to clean up voter lists by removing individuals he identified as Bangladeshi infiltrators. He added that the general public in West Bengal supports Kumar's actions, noting that the state has rarely witnessed such electoral management.
Internal Dissents and EC Response
The controversy is heightened by reports suggesting internal friction within the Election Commission itself. According to reports by the Indian Express, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi reportedly recorded 14 written dissents or objections over a 10-month period regarding aspects of the SIR process.
However, the Election Commission has dismissed claims of a fractured institution. The commission maintains that internal notes, queries, and discussions are standard parts of its institutional functioning and asserts that all final decisions regarding the SIR were reached unanimously.