Visible zeal of the Indian voters to overthrow the autocratic Narendra Modi government that’s determined to dismantle Ambedkar’s Constitution, may prove to be a mirage, thanks to Rajiv Kumar-led election commission’s single-minded focus to subvert the election process in favour of Modi by hook or crook.
The fifth phase of the election culminated two days back, on May 20. But as had happened earlier, Rajiv Kumar once again did not put in public domain the figure of the actual votes polled. Rajiv had amended the data of the votes polled during the first two phases after eleven and four days of the polling. In both the cases, the amended percentage of vote polled showed an increase of around 5.67 per cent. The total number of votes polled shot up by 1.07 crores. Certainly, by no means this is a small figure.
It is worth recalling that in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, at least 14 BJP candidates had won by a margin of 5000 to 15,000. If the increase in votes is spread proportionately to the constituencies which went to polls, it would be perceived that each constituency has registered an average increase of 28,000 votes. This number is sufficient to jockey the results in favour of BJP. These votes are sufficient to help BJP to get a clean majority and ensure Modi’s coming back to power for third term.
There is no doubt that Rajiv Kumar, at the instructions of his political masters, has chalked a conspiracy to trample election machinery and ensure victory for Modi and BJP. It was the foreboding of losing the election that Modi had dared to remove the CJI of Supreme Court from the committee of the selectors for the Election Commission, while appointing two compliant officers as election commissioners to assist Rajiv Kumar. Modi was ready for any kind of eventuality.
By the second phase of the polling Modi could sense that there’s indeed a strong but subterranean anti-incumbency against his government. The people have turned hostile and a silent revenge wave was sweeping across the country, especially in Hindi heartland.
What made the situation worse for him was the decision of the RSS leaders and cadres not to support him and abstain from polling. Realising that water was flowing above his head, he was left with no alternative but to signal Rajiv Kumar to swing into action. But Kumar committed a major faux-pas. He increased the percentage of votes polled disproportionately. Even his clarification on non-availability of total number of votes was untenable and did not stand scrutiny.
Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Qureshi, who is credited with introducing the EVM to ‘speed up’ the election process and make data around it public faster than before, asserted that it is for the Election Commission to explain why so much time is being taken to finalise the votes polled data. Qureshi was clear: “There should be no reasons for delay in the voter turnout data as it is available in real time. Within five minutes of the polling ending, all information is available. Now, in this situation, the Election Commission is accountable for why so much time is being taken to finalise the data.”
Qureshi added: “The Election Commission must give full information about why this gap or lack of coordination is there. The commission must explain why this is happening. For transparency in the electoral process, all questions arising in the minds of people have to be answered.” The expert seeking clarification is enough to expose the conspiracy hatched out by the election commission in connivance with the political masters.
Rajiv Kumar’s election commission might not have dared to contrive, if the Supreme Court had not reaffirmed its faith in the working of EVMs and rejected prayers for 100 per cent verification of the votes polled in them with slips printed by the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines or, alternatively, a return to the system of ballot papers. The court even went further and in separate but concurring judgments, had said: “To us, it is apparent that a number of safeguards and protocols with stringent checks have been put in place, adding that “data and figures” placed before it “do not indicate artifice and deceit”.
An unnecessary observation of the court, saying — “It is of immediate relevance to note that in recent years, a trend has been fast developing of certain vested interest groups endeavouring to undermine the achievements and accomplishments of the nation, earned through the hard work and dedication of its sincere workforce. There seems to be a concerted effort to discredit, diminish, and weaken the progress of this great nation on every possible frontier. Any such effort, or rather attempt, has to be nipped in the bud. No Constitutional court, far less this Court, would allow such (an) attempt to succeed as long as it has a say in the matte” — simply emboldened the Election Commission to act according to its sweet will. In the past, the supporters of the candidates used to loot some booths, but now the Election Commission is virtually committing grave constitutional sin by managing the EVM before the very eyes of the voters.
In fact Modi’s assertion: “My expectation to get more than 400 seats must not be seen as overconfidence. I do not live in overconfidence. I am a person who has his ear to the ground. I may think big… I may dream far… but I remain grounded”, has simply reinforced the suspicion that Election Commission has been out to bend the votes polled grossly in Modi’s favour. Just ahead of the fifth phase, Modi had asserted that the BJP will emerge as the single largest party in the south and was strongly confident that NDA will cross 400 seats in Lok Sabha when election results come out on June 4. “Our strategy for the entire nation is the same. Phir ek baar modi sarkar. Aur chaar June 400 paar”, he asserted.
Rajiv Kumar’s Election Commission showing a rise of 5.67 per cent in votes polled during the first two phases has drawn the attention of the Supreme Court and this time the CJI D Y Chandrachud will hear Rajiv Kumar-led EC’s response and clarification on May 24, a day before the sixth, or second last phase of polling. CJI had on May 17 asked the EC why it was not supplying the total numbers of votes, as it has always done. The court also ought to know from EC: “On what basis do you disclose the tentative voting percentage. Is it based on Form 17C? What is the difficulty of putting this on website?” It is mandatory that all polling officers in election booths should fill Form 17C and submit to the returning officer. The apex body, the central office of the CEC, receives the figures within hours from the state electoral officers.
It is indeed a matter of shame that CEC has been negating the functioning of his organisation by saying that returning officer collects data from the entire constituency, which takes time. There are some constituencies at far flung places and there are others where re-polling has been ordered. At a time when the figures are available at a “click button” distance, he was hiding behind gross falsifications.
This is reminiscent of the tricks played by the State Bank of India in the matter of providing information on electoral bonds. It had played the same dirty game. It demanded time till June end. But once Supreme Court issued a stern warning and ordered it to release the information asap, it revealed the information within three days.
Former additional secretary home affairs, Sanjeev Gupta, says, “Can the [Election Commission] not embarrass themselves any further? I reiterate that Form 17C data of voters is entered boothwise in ECI’s ENCORE web based software. Data is available with them at the press of a button. How can they then say that they don’t have actual numbers of votes cast?”
It remains to be seen if the Supreme Court at the May 24 hearing will adopt a stern approach and ensure that Rajiv Kumar’s CEC does not succeed in its mission to defeat the peoples’ mandate by rigging the elections in Modi’s favour. Rajiv Kumar is under legal obligation to explain what the basis for increasing the percentage of votes cast during first two phases was. SC must seek an honest reply from the pliant CEC. He must also furnish an undertaking to the court that no tampering of the electoral process takes place during the next two phases. It is not simply the electoral process that is at stake; instead the future of the democracy and the fundamental right to vote and choose the representative is also endangered.
At a time when Modi has been facing acute voter fatigue and serious resistance from a resurgent opposition with the foot soldiers of RSS, party’s Hindu nationalist parent turning hostile, he can go to any extent to swing the election in his favour and come to power for the third time. With lower voter turnout, Modi and his BJP have turned nervous. In this backdrop, the Supreme Court should have to be extra cautious and if necessary order re-polling at the booths where some kind of suspected tampering might have taken place. (IPA Service)