Samasthipur: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor has said concerns over the Election Commission of India extend beyond the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that several aspects of the electoral process have raised questions about the poll body’s functioning.
Speaking to reporters in Samastipur, Bihar, on Thursday, Kishor said concerns had persisted for several years over voter list preparation, election scheduling, enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, deployment of observers and alleged irregularities during vote counting.
He claimed that these issues had created an impression among sections of the public that the Election Commission was favouring the ruling party.
“The issue is not limited to just SIR and Gyanesh Kumar. Over the past 8–10 years, a large section of society has been questioning the entire electoral process and the Election Commission’s modus operandi,” Kishor said.
He called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down and also questioned the appointment of former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as chairman of HDFC following his retirement.
INDIA Bloc Continues Protest Over Electoral Roll Revision
Kishor’s remarks came amid continuing opposition protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over electoral roll revisions.
A day earlier, INDIA bloc leaders gathered at Raj Ghat in New Delhi for a peaceful tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, invoking the spirit of satyagraha as they continued their demonstrations for a third consecutive day.
Among those present were Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The opposition has maintained that its concerns over electoral roll revisions and the functioning of the Election Commission require accountability from the poll body’s leadership.
BJP Hits Back at Rahul Gandhi
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rejected the opposition’s allegations. Party president Nitin Nabin challenged Rahul Gandhi to resign if he had the courage and accused the Congress leader of having an “anarchic mindset”.
The INDIA bloc had not announced its next course of action in the supplied report, with its leadership expected to brief the media on its plans.
Meanwhile, a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party was scheduled for October 10 in Delhi, according to the report.