Rajiv Kumar, the outgoing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), said on Monday that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is often unfairly blamed by those unwilling to accept electoral results.
In his farewell address, Kumar said there is a growing tendency to target election officials after poll outcomes, calling it a “disturbing trend” that must stop.
“The Commission, as an institution, often finds itself unfairly blamed by those unwilling to accept electoral outcomes. A pressing concern is the growing tendency to target election officials in the aftermath of electoral contests. It is perceived as a convenient scapegoat,” Kumar said.
He noted that candidates and their parties are involved at every stage of the electoral process with “full transparency.” Yet, he said, some attempt to create “doubts” after results are declared without raising objections or filing appeals earlier in the process.
“Dialogue should always be the preferred approach and while the Commission reacts with sagacity, stoicism and restraint, this is a disturbing trend and should be abandoned soon,” he said.
Opposition accuses ECI of bias
Kumar’s remarks come at a time when opposition parties have repeatedly accused the ECI of favouring the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The poll panel has firmly denied these claims.
On 7 February, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the number of eligible voters in Maharashtra increased by 3.9 million between the Lok Sabha elections in April-June 2024 and the state assembly polls in November.
During the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi, of which Congress is a member, won 30 of Maharashtra’s 48 parliamentary seats. However, in the assembly polls, the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition swept the state, securing 230 of the 288 seats.
Opposition parties have also raised concerns about the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), calling for a return to paper ballots.
In October 2024, after losing the Haryana assembly election despite a decade of anti-incumbency against the BJP, Congress made an unprecedented move by refusing to accept the result. The party alleged a “gross mismatch” between votes polled and counted.
Call for fair discourse
Kumar urged political parties to engage in constructive dialogue rather than casting doubts on the electoral process after a defeat. He stressed that the integrity of elections is upheld at every level and should not be questioned without concrete evidence.
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