NDA unease over EC-SIR row? 3 BJP allies seek answers as oppn turns up heat

Unease permeates the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) following a media report implicating Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, prompting three BJP allies to demand a clearer response from the Election Commission of India (ECI). Union minister and LJP president Chirag Paswan urged the ECI to dispel "misgivings in the minds of the people," emphasizing the importance of maintaining public trust in the electoral system.

UPendra Kushwaha, leader of Janata Dal (United) Bihar and a Rajya Sabha MP, called for clarification to dispel confusion among the public. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu described the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Andhra Pradesh as a success, noting that a clarification from the ECI would benefit transparency and public confidence.

The controversy centers around reports that ECI commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected to decisions without the commissioners' knowledge or recommendation, allegedly regarding changes to electoral registration forms and the central management of voter databases. The ECI has maintained that disagreements among its members are routine and that the final decisions remain unanimous, with all orders legally sanctioned.

The BJP has downplayed the issue, viewing the exchanges as an example of healthy democratic debate within the Commission.