BJP flays CPMs' charter for electoral rigging’
The BJP on Thursday described the CPM’s document on Election Commission (EC) reform as a “charter for electoral rigging“ and said all political parties should stand up against the brazen attempts to browbeat constitutional offices, reports Our Pol...
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Thursday described the CPM’s document on Election Commission (EC) reform as a “charter for electoral rigging“ and said all political parties should stand up against the brazen attempts to browbeat constitutional offices, reports Our Political Bureau.
BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley said the CPM was misleading the public when it says that the status and role of the EC was not clearly defined. “The Election Commission is constituted under Article 324. And some of its powers are specified in the election laws. Where no powers are specified, Article 324 is a reservoir of all powers necessary for free conduct of polls,“ he said.
CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, who is spearheading his party’s campaign against the EC has been accusing the poll panel and its members of partisan instincts. He had pointed to the revision of electoral rolls and deployment of paramilitary forces in West Bengal during the last assembly polls.
Countering that, Mr Jaitley said, “Deployment of central para-military forces as against state police has helped in having free and fair elections in the recent past. But the CPM thinks otherwise. “
The BJP leader said the call for reform was aimed at reducing the EC to a monitoring body. “They want the subjugation of Election Commission to a monitoring body. Review of Election Commission Acts can only be made by the High Court or Supreme Court and not by an executive body, “ Mr Jaitley said.
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He, however, said the CPM’s document has two positive suggestions. “The CPM document has suggested that poll panel members should be non-partisan and should be selected by a collegium comprising the PM, leader of the opposition and the chief justice of India. “ Mr Jaitley who challenged the CPM to walk the talk by getting the government brings a Bill for the purpose, questioned the Left party’s moral authority to moot the proposal.
“Recently, when a partisan person was appointed to the Election Commission it was done with the support of the CPM. If the CPM is honest regarding their proposal, they should bring a resolution or Legislation in Parliament that the three-member collegium will appoint the Election Commission and the NDA will support it,“ Mr Jaitley claimed.
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