New Delhi: Leaders of the INDIA bloc on Friday submitted a four-point memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, raising concerns over alleged electoral irregularities and demanding sweeping changes to the election process.
In the memorandum, the Opposition accused the BJP of manipulating Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and electoral rolls in several Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The leaders alleged that large-scale electoral malpractice had undermined democratic institutions and deprived citizens of their constitutional right to vote.
The memorandum named elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Delhi and West Bengal, alleging that the results had been affected by what the bloc described as “Vote Chori”. It also accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of misleading the Supreme Court to conceal alleged irregularities.
Seeking the President’s intervention, the Opposition leaders urged her to take cognisance of their concerns and ensure that their demands were addressed without delay.
The four key demands include the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and repeal of the 2023 law that, according to the bloc, grants lifelong immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. They also called for an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the restoration of 13.30 crore voters allegedly removed from the lists.
The bloc further demanded a return to paper ballots for all elections and the annulment of Assembly elections held over the past two years in which it claims conclusive evidence of electoral malpractice has emerged.
Invoking Article 326 of the Constitution, which provides for elections based on adult suffrage, the leaders said the Election Commission was responsible for safeguarding the right to vote and must remain accountable to the Constitution.
“The Election Commission is its constitutional custodian, not its proprietor,” the memorandum stated, adding that no institution should be allowed to change the rules governing voting rights or evade accountability for its decisions.
In their appeal to President Murmu, the Opposition leaders described the situation as a critical moment for the country’s democratic framework and called on her to act decisively to protect the Constitution and ensure that citizens’ voices were not silenced.
