Left parties seek removal of CEC

Five Left parties on Thursday demanded removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and a halt on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, announcing week-long protests across the country from September 26 to October 2. The announcement followed a meeting of CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, CPI general secretary D Raja and CPI(ML)-Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya at AK Gopalan Bhawan here, after which the leaders addressed a press conference.

In a joint statement, the CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML)-Liberation, along with the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) demanded restoration of voting rights for those “wrongfully excluded” from electoral rolls and sought measures to restore the credibility and independent functioning of the Election Commission (EC).

The move comes a day after The Indian Express reported about objections raised by two of the three election commissioners over decisions relating to voter registration, deletion and restoration of names and the conduct of SIR.

The Left leaders cited the reports to question the manner in which the EC has been functioning under CEC Gyanesh Kumar, saying the concerns extended beyond SIR to the functioning and integrity of the poll panel, calling the report an “indictment of the office of the CEC, which stands compromised”.

“Two of the three election commissioners have, on at least 14 occasions, recorded objections to decisions concerning voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, and the conduct of SIR,” the Left parties said in the joint statement.

They also flagged concerns over decisions allegedly being taken without consent of the two election commissioners and the reported “gradual centralisation” of the voter database, besides restrictions on its access by statutory officials at state and constituency levels.

It said the disclosures confirm concerns repeatedly raised by opposition parties and civil society organisations and “expose the hollowness of claims that the SIR and electoral-roll management are transparent and decentralised”.

“The two commissioners have specifically flagged gradual centralisation of the voter database and restrictions on the access of statutory officials at state and constituency levels. The consequences are not merely administrative,” the Left parties said.

They pointed to the reported case of Goa, where software restrictions allegedly prevented electoral registration officers (EROs) from recording their decisions finding 97 voters eligible.

“The issue, therefore, goes far beyond SIR. It concerns the transparency and democratic functioning of the EC and the protection of the fundamental democratic principle of universal adult franchise,” they said.

Besides seeking Kumar’s removal, the Left parties demanded the SIR process be stopped and voting rights restored to those wrongfully excluded from the electoral rolls. They also sought replacement of the existing system for appointment of election commissioners with a mechanism based on the Supreme Court’s proposed selection committee comprising the prime minister, leader of opposition and Chief Justice of India.

The Left parties announced nationwide protests — to begin September 26, the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, and conclude on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The parties appealed to opposition parties, civil society organisations and citizens to join the protests.

The joint statement was signed by Baby, Raja, Bhattacharya, AIFB general secretary G Devarajan and RSP general secretary Manoj Bhattacharya.