Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti flag ECI divisions, seek urgent course correction

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday raised concerns about the country's electoral process, pointing to reported differences within the Election Commission of India and calling for an urgent course correction.

Speaking on the controversy over reported dissent within the poll panel, Mr. Abdullah said the developments raised a host of questions. He recalled that complaints about the Commission's functioning were not new, noting that before the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls became a national issue, delimitation had been a concern in Jammu and Kashmir. He described that exercise as opaque and flawed, alleging it was designed to favour one political party and its supporters.

Referring to the dissenting notes within the Commission, Mr. Abdullah said the situation required the authorities to review how the poll panel functions and to take corrective steps. He argued that elections are the foundation of a democracy, asking what remains if people lose faith in them. The Election Commission and the Government of India, he said, should examine the matter, especially if eligible voters were prevented from exercising their franchise. He further alleged that individuals were being arbitrarily removed from voter lists and even denied passports.

Mr. Abdullah said the internal divisions within the Commission, along with what has been shown so far, made it clear that all was not well, adding that the statement issued by the panel was even more damaging.

Ms. Mufti alleged that the BJP was subverting the electoral process by fudging electoral rolls. She said the party was attempting to undermine the fundamentals of a nation seen as the world's largest democracy, and pointed to the two election commissioners who, she said, had indicated as much. Warning that continued manipulation of electoral rolls could, at some point, make the country resemble a banana republic, she added that it was a silver lining that India still had people like the two commissioners with the courage and integrity to question those in power.