Opposition Bloc Writes to CJI, Alleges Electoral Manipulation by Government and EC

NEW DELHI: A bloc of 24 opposition parties and one independent MP has written to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, alleging that the government is manipulating elections with the help of a biased Election Commission (EC). The letter, dated June 28, claims that democratic processes are under threat and urges the judiciary to intervene.

The opposition bloc, called INDIA, raised several grievances in its letter. It questioned the timing of the Special Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, arguing it should be conducted five years before an assembly election, not closer to polling dates. The bloc also expressed concerns about the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and called for a return to ballot papers. It alleged that recent assembly elections in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Haryana were manipulated.

The letter stated that the bloc had been forced to approach the Chief Justice after hitting a wall with the government. It listed instances of alleged bias: the SIR process favouring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), misuse of investigative agencies to influence elections, and the appointment of election commissioners close to the ruling party.

In May, the Supreme Court had upheld the SIR process, observing that it advances the constitutional imperative of free and fair elections. The opposition letter acknowledged this but argued that the current implementation is flawed.

The bloc wrote: "Democracies turn into anarchies when institutional mechanisms fail completely... We are not questioning the judiciary. In fact, we turn to courts when every mechanism fails. When this, too, fails, it leaves open the question – who do we now turn to? We leave that question for you to ponder upon."

The letter specifically criticised the appointment of Election Commissioners. It noted that the Modi government removed the Chief Justice of India from the collegium that selects election commissioners, contrary to the Supreme Court's judgment in the Anoop Baranwal case. The bloc alleged that those appointed are "closely associated with" the government.

"The reason for our grave concern is the brazen biased conduct of the EC, in particular the Chief Election Commissioner," the letter said. It accused the EC of showing "open, unabashed support for the BJP during the course of electoral processes" and described the SIR as the "unkindest cut" by the EC and CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

The opposition bloc includes major national and regional parties. The letter did not provide specific evidence for its allegations but urged the Chief Justice to suspend the SIR process and consider restoring ballot papers.

The government has not yet responded to the letter. The EC has previously denied allegations of bias.