Says the fight to protect voting rights must reach every household
The Sunday Mail
Jaipur: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot leveled serious allegations against the Election Commission and the BJP regarding local body elections here on Monday. Speaking to the media during a Congress protest march from Shaheed Smarak to the Rajasthan State Election Commission office, he stated that the Congress would take issues concerning voters’ rights and the impartiality of democratic institutions to the public across the country. The Congress staged a protest against the Election Commission, with several senior party leaders, including Gehlot, participating.
Gehlot noted that their leader, Rahul Gandhi, has long been raising questions about the electoral process and voter lists. Citing issues related to voter lists and alleged “vote theft,” he claimed that failure to resolve these concerns would have a serious impact on the democratic system.
Gehlot also referred to recent reports indicating that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had registered written objections at least 14 times over the past ten months regarding various measures taken by the Commission. According to the reports, these objections concerned matters such as the addition of new voters, the deletion and reinstatement of names, appeals related to voter lists, and the management of electoral data. It has also come to light that both commissioners wrote separate letters to the Cabinet Secretary.
Questioning the Commission’s recent meeting, Gehlot remarked that procedural reforms alone are insufficient. On September 26, the Election Commission had announced that meeting agendas would be circulated in advance and minutes would be released following the meetings.
The former Chief Minister also raised the issue of Rajasthan’s local body elections. Congress leaders have recently accused the BJP of misusing the police, the administration, and money power. Gehlot stated that the Congress views this campaign not merely as a battle between political parties, but as an issue concerning the citizens’ right to vote. He stated that instructions have been issued to the party organization to take this matter to the grassroots level, and that the Congress will continue its agitation on this issue. Gehlot remarked that the right to vote is the soul of the Constitution and the fight to protect it must reach the public. A large number of Congress workers participated in the protest led by Gehlot, including state in-charge Sukhjinder Randhawa, state president Govind Singh Dotasra, and Leader of the Legislature Party Tikaram Jully.
