ECI dissent row: Cong leader demands review of poll body’s decisions, suspension of SIR
New Delhi: After a news report claimed dissent within the Election Commission of India (ECI), Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Wednesday said that all decisions taken by the poll body in recent years should be reviewed by a Parliamentary Committee.
He also demanded that the Special Intensive Review (SIR) process, which is currently underway across several parts of the nation, should be immediately suspended.
The latest controversy comes after a leading daily published an investigative report claiming that on 14 occasions over a period of 10 months, two Election Commissioners had objected on record to steps taken by the Commission.
According to the report, the objections related to a range of decisions and processes, including allegations that the commissioners were kept in the dark about certain matters as well as issues concerning the addition of new voters and deletion of names from electoral rolls.
Chidambaram said that the report, “if correct, shake the foundations of the Election Commission of India (ECI).”
“There are two separate points — 1. Decision; and 2. Decision-making process. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that if the decision-making process is flawed or wrong, the decision will also be flawed or wrong,” he said.
The Congress leader stated that the Opposition has contended that “many decisions concerning S.I.R. were wrong. Now, it is revealed that the decision-making process was also wrong.”
“If two ECs have taken a contrary view, how could the CEC make his view the ‘decision’ of the ECI? All decisions of the ECI in recent years should be reviewed by a Parliamentary Committee. Meanwhile, the S.I.R. process should be suspended immediately all over the country,” he added.
The ECI, however, has rejected a report by a leading newspaper claiming that two Election Commissioners had “objected on record” to several decisions taken by the poll panel, allegedly without their knowledge.
People familiar with the developments and having direct knowledge of the matter said that no Election Commissioner had recorded any dissent on the decisions taken by the poll body. They said the two commissioners had only made certain observations, which were subsequently examined by the Commission.