Taking a dig at the Election Commission of India on Tuesday (February 18, 2025), Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the poll body has become a cheerleader for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. It is turning into a cancer, ravaging India’s democracy and the Constitution, he added.
Mr. Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, vowed that if the RJD comes to power at the Centre, it will stop the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
“After every election, the ECI is losing the trust of the people. The Election Commission has failed to address the pointed questions, doubts, and complaints of the Opposition,” Mr. Yadav told journalists. “When a cricket match is played between two teams, you will see spectators, umpires, players, and cheerleaders. So, the ECI has become the cheerleader for the BJP. They are not even spectators, forget being the umpire,” he said.
CEC selection controversy
Mr. Yadav’s remarks came a day after Gyanesh Kumar was appointed the new Chief Election Commissioner, following a meeting of the three-member selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Apart from the PM, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi are the other members of the panel. However, Mr. Gandhi had reportedly left the meeting at the Prime Minister’s official residence, after submitting his objection in writing. The Congress had asked the government to “adjourn” the selection panel’s meeting till Wednesday, as the Supreme Court is hearing a challenge against a new law under which the CEC’s selection was made.
Cancer for democracy
“The ECI is turning out to be a cancer for democracy and the Constitution,” Mr. Yadav said. “You might remember that on the day of the results of the 2020 Bihar Assembly election, the Election Commission held three press conferences in a single day. The counting was halted for five hours. The results were not declared until 2 a.m. Many of our candidates were winning and, in several seats, cheating was done. Many of our candidates approached the court as well with the evidence but the ECI has nothing to do with such issues.”
Asked about outgoing CEC Rajiv Kumar’s remark that losers must stop blaming the Commission, Mr. Yadav said, “Why would we not blame the EC if they cheat us? We will definitely blame the EC. Why can’t they give logical and satisfactory responses to our queries and doubts? Whoever has become the new CEC, we would like the Commission to run according to the rules and not become a cheerleader and cell of a particular party.”
