Eknath Shinde says Opposition targets EC, EVMs mainly after election defeats

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday criticised opposition parties over their demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar alleging that questions about the Election Commission and electronic voting machines EVMs are raised primarily after electoral defeatsShinde who heads the Shiv Sena and is part of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra said opposition parties did not raise similar concerns when the Congress won elections in several statesHis comments came amid a wider political dispute over the Election Commissions handling of the Special Intensive Revision SIR of electoral rolls and demands from some opposition parties for action against Kumar The controversy followed an Indian Express investigation reporting that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the SIR processShinde questions Oppositions criticism of ECSpeaking to reporters in Mumbai Shinde alleged that opposition parties question the credibility of the Election Commission when election results do not go in their favourWe are seeing what is happening When the Congress wins in Telangana Karnataka Himachal Pradesh and Kerala the Opposition does not comment on the Election Commission Shinde saidHe also accused opposition parties of making critical remarks about constitutional institutions including the judiciary and the Election Commission when decisions go against themShindes remarks were directed at the ongoing debate over the functioning of the Election Commission which has intensified following the reported objections raised by two of its commissioners during deliberations on the SIR exerciseReport triggers fresh debate over SIRThe Indian Express investigation published earlier this week reported that Sandhu and Joshi had placed objections on record at least 14 times over a 10month period According to the report their concerns covered issues including changes relating to new voter registration deletion of names and aspects of the voter database and software used by the poll panelThe report prompted demands from several opposition leaders for Kumars resignation and renewed criticism of the Election CommissionThe Commission has maintained that observations and disagreements can form part of internal deliberations It has said that decisions taken by the full Commission were unanimous The issue has therefore involved competing claims about internal deliberations and the status of final decisionsShinde raises history of EVM useShinde also referred to the history of electronic voting in India while responding to criticism of EVMsThe deputy chief minister said EVMs were introduced during the Congresss period in power and referred to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhis tenureHe said the law was amended during that period and that Gandhi had suggested to the Election Commission that elections be conducted using EVMsThe Election Commissions own historical account says Parliament amended the law in December 1988 to provide a legal framework for the use of EVMs The Commission says EVMs have subsequently been examined through various legal proceedings and that their use is governed by legal and administrative safeguardsOpposition criticism extends beyond EVMsThe current political dispute is not limited to EVMs Opposition parties have also raised concerns about the SIR process particularly over the handling of electoral rolls and the objections reportedly recorded by two Election CommissionersThe Indian Express reported that Sandhu and Joshi had raised concerns about several SIRrelated decisions and had formally recorded their objections The report described the development as an unusual episode within the threemember poll panelThe Election Commission however has said the final decisions of the Commission were unanimous and characterised the objections and observations as part of its deliberative processShinde says irregularities should be investigatedShinde said any wrongdoing should be investigated and maintained that his remarks were not intended to defend any individualEvery wrongdoing will be probed he said stressing that he was not speaking in support of anyoneThe dispute comes as the Election Commission continues work on electoral roll revisions in several states In Maharashtra the deadline for filing suggestions and objections in the ongoing SIR exercise was extended to October 12 according to a September 26 updateWith inputs from PTI