Election Commission is a ‘thief’, says Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece

A view of Nirvachan Sadan, Election Commission of India. File.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

In a scathing editorial published on Monday (December 23, 2024), Saamana, the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena (UBT), accused the Election Commission (EC) of undermining democracy and acting as an accomplice to the Modi-Shah government. The editorial titled “Election Commission is a thief: Dr. Ambedkar’s existence was murdered” in Marathi, alleged that the election process has lost public trust, with voters questioning the transparency of results.

“Who exactly did you vote for? The votes pressed for one candidate somehow always seem to go to the BJP’s lotus symbol. This pattern has created significant doubt among voters,” the editorial stated, further claiming that many people across Maharashtra and other States have taken to the streets to protest against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

The piece criticised the government for allegedly manipulating rules to hide electoral malpractices. “When courts demanded records from the Election Commission to investigate allegations of EVM fraud, the Commission panicked, and the Modi-Shah government hastily amended laws to suppress any exposure of the EVM scam,” it claimed.

The editorial highlighted recent changes to Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, which prevent citizens from accessing electronic election records, even under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. “This amendment is a direct attack on transparency and democracy. It seals the truth that this government is afraid and relies on EVM manipulation to win elections,” Saamana alleged.

It further accused the Union Law Ministry of acting in bad faith and “eating dung” by supporting these changes. The editorial expressed alarm over the continued use of EVMs in India, claiming they have been rejected globally. “The BJP insists on using EVMs because, without them, their tally would not even cross 150 seats,” the piece argued.

A specific concern raised was the lack of access to Form 17A, which records voter details and serves as a key element in verifying electoral transparency. The editorial alleged that demands for Form 17A were ignored by election authorities in Maharashtra following controversial results, leaving candidates and voters in the dark about discrepancies between voters’ list and actual voting records.

The Saamana editorial concluded with a call to action, urging citizens to demand accountability and transparency from the Election Commission. “If democracy is to survive, the Election Commission must prove that it is not a tool in the hands of the Modi-Shah government,” it stated.