The Election Commission of India (ECI) has invited all national and state political parties to provide suggestions by April 30 regarding any unresolved electoral issues at various levels, including Electoral Registration Officers (ERO), District Election Officers (DEO), and Chief Electoral Officers (CEO).
The Commission has also proposed an interaction with party presidents and senior leaders to strengthen electoral processes within the existing legal framework.
The initiative follows a recent ECI conference where Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar directed officials across states and union territories to engage with political parties regularly.
He emphasized that any concerns raised in these interactions should be addressed strictly within the legal framework, with action-taken reports to be submitted by March 31, 2025.
The Commission has urged political parties to actively participate in this decentralized mechanism to ensure transparency and efficiency in the electoral system.
The Election Commission has identified political parties as one of the 28 key stakeholders involved in electoral processes, as outlined in the Constitution and statutory framework.
This move comes amid growing concerns from opposition parties regarding alleged voter list manipulations and discrepancies in electoral processes.
Recently, a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) delegation visited the Election Commission office in Delhi to submit a follow-up memorandum highlighting discrepancies in votes cast during the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha. On March 6, a Trinamool Congress delegation met ECI officials in Kolkata, raising concerns about multiple voters being assigned the same Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also addressed the issue in the Lok Sabha, calling for a discussion on alleged voter list irregularities across various states, including Maharashtra. He pointed out that opposition parties were united in their demand for greater scrutiny of the electoral roll.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh accused the Election Commission and the central government of manipulating voter lists by creating fake entries, citing alleged irregularities in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Delhi. He claimed that similar tactics were being prepared for the upcoming elections in West Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has formed a committee to investigate voter list discrepancies in every district of the state. She alleged that the BJP had added fake voters to manipulate elections in Maharashtra and Delhi and was attempting similar practices in West Bengal.
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