On National Voters Day, Jairam Ramesh questions ECI’s ‘independence’, ‘professionalism’

NEW DELHI: On the occasion of National Voters Day, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh raised concern over the ‘independence’ and ‘professionalism’ of the Election Commission of India, alleging that it has been compromised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Jairam further criticised ECI stand on the recent allegations of Congress relating to Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections, calling it “shockingly partisan”. “Sadly, over the past decade, the professionalism and independence of the Election Commission has been severely compromised by the PM-HM duo. Some of its decisions are now under challenge in the Supreme Court. Its stand on the concerns raised on the recent assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra has been shockingly partisan”, Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.

He further said, “There will be a lot of self-congratulation today, but that will not obscure the fact that the Election Commission as it has been functioning makes a mockery of the Constitution and is an insult to the voters themselves”.

Today has been celebrated as National Voters Day since 2011 to mark the day on which the Election Commission came into being 75 years ago on Jan 25th, 1950.

The Election Commission is a Constitutional body. Its first Chairman was the legendary Sukumar Sen whose role in… pic.twitter.com/YdEsQlpPW6

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 25, 2025

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had dismissed the Congress claims of tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections, asserting that the Supreme Court has vouched for the reliability of these devices. At a press conference, Kumar said, “There is no evidence of unreliability or any drawback in the EVM… There is no question of introducing a virus or bug in the EVM. There is no question of invalid votes in the EVM. No rigging is possible. High Courts and the Supreme Court are continuously saying this in different judgments… What else can be said? EVMs are foolproof devices for counting. Allegations of tempering are baseless. We are speaking now because we don’t speak when elections are on”.

He also dismissed the suggestion of returning to paper ballots for voting saying, “Return to the outdated paper ballots system is unwarranted and regressive. This is aimed at derailing the election process.”

National Voters’ Day is about celebrating our vibrant democracy and empowering every citizen to exercise their right to vote. It highlights the importance of participation in shaping the nation’s future. We laud the ECI for their exemplary efforts in this regard.@ECISVEEP pic.twitter.com/aewpSJixkT

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 25, 2025

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings on National Voters Day and urged the citizens to exercise their right to vote. “National Voters’ Day is about celebrating our vibrant democracy and empowering every citizen to exercise their right to vote. It highlights the importance of participation in shaping the nation’s future. We laud the ECI for their exemplary efforts in this regard”, PM Modi wrote on X.

National Voters’ Day, observed annually since 2011, commemorates the foundation of the Election Commission on January 25, 1950. It focuses on voter awareness and encourages participation, with a special emphasis on enrolling new voters, particularly young citizens. Across India, new voters will be presented with their Elector Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) at NVD ceremonies.The day is celebrated nationwide, from national to local levels, emphasizing the importance of voter participation in shaping India’s democracy. (ANI)