Amaravati: YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said a "student appointing the examiner is always prone to allegations even though the examiner is thoroughly honest," reacting to allegations of "vote chori" (vote theft) through SIR.
The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister's reactions come in the wake of media reports flagging Election Commissioners allegedly raising objections to the decisions taken by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
A major controversy is raging across the country over the inclusions and exclusions in the Electoral Roll through the SIR process being undertaken by the poll body.
"Democracy can stand only when people have complete confidence in constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission. Student appointing the examiner is always prone to allegations even though the examiner is thoroughly honest and it is always better replacing the process with someone neutral," he said in a post on X.
Citing media reports, Reddy observed that "two Election Commissioners raising objections" on several occasions to decisions, electoral rolls and the management of ECINet have led to serious questions and doubts among the public.
Rather than an exchange of allegations, the public needs clarity on what objections were recorded, what action was taken on them, and how transparently the system functioned, be it for adding, deleting or restoring names on electoral rolls, he said.
"Steps are needed to give people confidence on these matters. Ultimately, we must strengthen public trust in the electoral process, protect every citizen's right to vote, and strengthen the systems that allow people to exercise that right without fear," said the YSRCP chief.
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In a democracy, Reddy emphasised, transparency should not only prevail but should also appear to have prevailed.
Reflecting on the support the erstwhile YSRCP government had accorded to almost all Central Government bills between 2019 and 2024 in the Parliament, he reminded that The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 was backed by the opposition party.
In the wake of CEC controversy, Reddy noted that the "Central government should come forward, set the normal in place dispelling this fear."
"An amendment to the bill (The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners Act, 2023) be brought forward where the election commissioner is appointed by the three member committee which has Leader of Opposition (LoP), Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Prime Minister as members once again," Reddy demanded.
According to the former CM, the amendment move would definitely regain the "esteem and the confidence in the Election Commission."
This is especially important because during the SIR process in Andhra Pradesh, the party in power (TDP-led NDA govt) "misused its authority," he alleged.
"On many occasions, our (YSRCP) appeals went unheard. In the local body election process too, our objections as an Opposition party to the manner in which divisions were redrawn were brushed aside," he claimed.
Such alleged actions undoubtedly weaken public confidence in the electoral process.
Transparency and accountability are the true measures of how any institution functions in a democracy, and safeguarding them is that institution's primary duty, Reddy added.
In the 2024 general elections, YSRCP was trounced by the NDA alliance of TDP, Jana Sena and BJP, relegating it to just 11 assembly seats and four Lok Sabha seats, prompting Reddy to cast "suspicions" on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and demanding a return to ballot boxes.
