Opposition Leaders Detained in Delhi Amidst Election integrity Protests
New Delhi, India – Several prominent leaders from indias opposition parties were detained today in New Delhi while attempting to march to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters to protest alleged irregularities in the electoral process. Those taken into custody include Priyanka Gandhi (Indian National congress), Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), T.R. Baalu (Dravida Munnetra kazhagam – DMK), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)), and derek O’Brien (trinamool Congress). Parliamentarians from the Rashtriya Janata Dal were also reportedly detained.
Context: Concerns Over Voter Rolls and Election Transparency
The protests center around concerns regarding the revision of voter lists, especially in states like Bihar, and broader questions about the fairness and transparency of India’s electoral system. The ECI maintains that changes to voter lists are shared with political parties and that all complaints are thoroughly investigated. The commission also emphasizes the necessity of revising voter rolls to remove deceased individuals and those who have relocated.
Recent reports, including from the BBC, indicate discrepancies in the draft voter rolls in Bihar, with some voters reporting incorrect photos and the inclusion of names of deceased individuals. the latest draft rolls contain 72.4 million names, a reduction of 6.5 million compared to previous lists. This revision process is occurring ahead of upcoming elections, adding to the political sensitivity.
The opposition’s concerns follow recent setbacks in state elections in Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh,Chhattisgarh,and Telangana in November and December 2023,where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured victories. These results were unexpected by many, given the opposition’s performance in the 2019 general election, where the BJP failed to secure an outright majority and relied on regional alliances to form a government.
Congress and its allies have also raised questions about the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the fairness of the vote counting process. These allegations have been consistently rejected by the ECI.
The BJP has accused opposition parties of attempting to destabilize the electoral process and create a “state of anarchy” by undermining public trust in the system. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated that the opposition’s actions stem from “continuous losses” and a sense of political bankruptcy.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in a letter to the ECI, requested discussions regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls (SIR) and othre related issues.He expressed the opposition’s desire to meet with the commission to address these concerns, emphasizing the importance of upholding parliamentary democracy. The proposed meeting would cover issues related to the electoral roll revision in Bihar and potential revisions in other states.