Election Commission

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The Election Commission’s proposal to amend the Model Code of Conduct to guide political parties to disclose how they plan to finance promises made in their election manifestos and how this would impact the financial situation of the state governments concerned or Central government is a totally unwarranted move.

We are herewith releasing the text of the letter addressed to Shri Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India by CPI(M) General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury, on the proposal of digital election campaign and the election funding.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and Polit Bureau Member Brinda Karat met the Chief Election Commissioner this evening seeking his intervention to ensure that counting is resumed in three booths of 23-Dhanpur assembly constituency of Tripura from where Chief Minister Manik Sarkar is contesting. Counting was stopped following the BJP’s objections.

A two member delegation of the CPI(M) consisting of General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and Central Secretariat Member Nilotpal Basu met the Chief Election Commissioner today to draw attention of the Commission to some serious concerns with regard to the forthcoming elections to the West Bengal legislative assembly. 

Though the Election Commssion (EC) has some time ago clarified through a press communiqué that the Aadhar Card detail are voluntary and not a compulsory requirement for being enrolled on the voters list, this practice as I mentioned above seems to suggest that the EC has decided in making the Aadhar card as a mandatory requirement for the exercise of franchise. -- Sitaram Yechury

The CPI(M) has demanded that the Election Commission of India take “necessary measures and make proper preparations to ensure that the democratic verdict of the people is not manipulated further at the stage of the counting of votes” in West Bengal. In a letter addressed to the Commission by Polit Bureau Member, Sitaram Yechury, the Party has suggested among other things provision of adequate security for the counting agents of all parties. The Party has expressed the apprehension that the widespread violence and intimidation witnessed during the last phase of polling in West Bengal will find reflection during the counting process also.

The CIC order states that “six national parties are substantially financed by the Central Government and therefore they are held to be public authorities under the Act”. This is untrue because the bulk of the funding and finances for the parties do not come from the government or any State institution. In fact, the CPI(M) does not even accept funds from the corporates which is legally permissible.

West Bengal’s electoral history is unique characterized by abnormally heavy voter turnout underlining the peaceful, free and fair character with massive popular participation under the strictest scrutiny of the EC. A number of times the Election Commission and its observers have put these on record. Particularly during the 2006 elections, the EC had organized it under unprecedented security arrangements. So much so, that the elections were held in five phases and both security and other election officials were largely drawn from outside the state.

Because of the delay and large-scale mistakes in printing photo identity cards, some interested quarters are flouting the Election Commission's rules illegally by attaching affidavit in Form 6 for the inclusion of fictitious names in voter's lists. The CPI(M) delegation had also submitted some copies of affidavits. The Chief Electoral Officer assured the delegation that BLO cannot accept those affidavits and will be prevented from enlisting fictitious names in the voters' lists. The delegation also informed him that some BLOs are accepting forms in large-scale violation of rules of Election Commission.