‘All Elections Illegal’: Kharge Seeks Fresh Ballot Paper Polls, Calls for Dissolution of Houses
Congress president alleges irregularities in SIR and demands fresh elections in places where he says electoral malpractice occurred
Kalaburagi: Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has called for the dissolution of the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, alleging that elections across the country were conducted illegally and demanding fresh polls through ballot papers.
Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi on Saturday, October 3, Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers elected through the existing process were, in his words, “illegal”. He called for the elected Houses to be dissolved and fresh elections to be held using ballot papers.
Kharge also criticised the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, alleging irregularities in the exercise and misuse of electronic voting machines. He said the Opposition would continue protests against what he described as the misuse of the electoral process.
Referring to the SIR exercise, Kharge questioned how elections could be considered free and fair if hundreds of voters were removed from a polling booth. He alleged that BJP and RSS workers were visiting wards, panchayats and villages and helping submit forms seeking deletion of voters’ names. These claims are allegations made by Kharge and have not been established as a nationwide finding.
The Congress president also criticised the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, particularly its provision concerning protection from legal proceedings for acts done in the discharge or purported discharge of official duties.
Kharge alleged that the 2023 law weakened safeguards by replacing the Chief Justice of India with a Union Cabinet Minister in the committee responsible for recommending appointments to the Election Commission. He argued that the change could affect the independence of the appointment process.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed that appointments to the Election Commission should be recommended by a committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India until Parliament enacted legislation on the matter. Parliament subsequently passed the 2023 law, which replaced the Chief Justice with a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
Kharge also referred to reporting by The Indian Express concerning differences within the Election Commission over the SIR exercise. He said two Election Commissioners had raised concerns with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on several occasions.
The Election Commission has previously maintained that decisions concerning the SIR were taken unanimously by the three member commission.
Kharge said the INDIA bloc had decided to intensify its campaign against the SIR following its September 30 meeting. Opposition MPs are scheduled to march to the Election Commission in New Delhi on October 6 as part of the planned protests.
He said the Opposition would continue holding demonstrations across the country, arguing that its objective was to raise public awareness about voting rights and alleged irregularities in the electoral process.
Kharge also reiterated his demand that elections be conducted through ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines.