Stories
Stop blaming ECI and understand public sentiments for political success
- •Rahul Gandhi and opposition parties are unfairly targeting the Election Commission and the SIR process by alleging vote theft and election manipulation.
- •Historical examples show that numerous Chief Ministers like Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik, and Narendra Modi achieved consecutive electoral hat-tricks without anti-incumbency affecting them.
- •The BJP's continued success stems from strong leadership, effective welfare schemes, organizational strength, and public support rather than electoral malpractice.
- •The Congress party continues to face electoral decline due to internal organizational weaknesses, dynastic control, and policies perceived as appeasement.
- •To regain power, the Congress must look beyond blaming constitutional bodies and instead align its strategies with the sentiments of the Indian public.
Key Questions Answered
Rahul Gandhi has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him and the poll panel of electoral rigging, vote theft, and manipulating voter lists through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in collusion with the government. He alleged that this administrative action amounts to an assault on the constitution and a crime against Indian citizens.
A media report from The Indian Express revealed that two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, formally recorded objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period regarding decisions made without their knowledge, particularly concerning electoral roll management and the Special Intensive Revision. This reported internal dissent fueled opposition allegations of election tampering, though the Commission maintained its decisions were unanimous.
Rahul Gandhi argues that anti-incumbency is an inevitable dimension of power politics worldwide that traditionally impacts every ruling government and leader, citing examples like his grandmother Indira Gandhi facing strong backlash shortly after the Bangladesh war. He expresses surprise that this phenomenon has seemingly disappeared under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading him to suspect systemic maneuvering and collusion involving the Election Commission.
