Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has launched a scathing attack on the functioning and integrity of the Election Commission of India. The party alleged that the election watchdog is operating in a subservient manner, eroding the general public's trust in vital democratic institutions. Citing internal developments in an editorial of its mouthpiece Saamna, the political outfit highlighted severe institutional fissures within the commission over the past ten months. It claimed that fellow Election Commissioners Sukhbir Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally raised objections at least 14 times against the arbitrary and high-handed working style of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Internal Objections Sidelined and Matter Escalated to Cabinet Secretariat
According to the editorial details, the formal objections and dissenting views raised by the two commissioners were repeatedly brushed aside by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party alleged that additions and deletions of voters were conducted unilaterally to provide electoral advantages to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. With no resolution achieved internally within the election body, the two dissenting commissioners reportedly escalated the issue directly to the Cabinet Secretariat. This official escalation brought the escalating administrative friction within the commission to the formal attention of the Prime Minister's Office.
Allegations Surrounding Special Summary Revision and Voter Rolls
The party directed severe criticism at the Special Summary Revision process, characterizing it as a systemic scheme. The editorial asserted that under the cover of this revision drive, approximately 13 crore citizens across India were stripped of their voting rights, including several prominent personalities and eminent citizens. In the specific context of Maharashtra, it claimed that more than two crore voter names were removed from the electoral registers. Furthermore, the editorial pointed to an abrupt surge of 42 lakh votes during the recent Maharashtra assembly elections, alleging that this sudden increase directly aided the victory of the BJP-led alliance.
Party Splits and Broader Questions on Institutional Credibility
The critique further argued that deliberate deletions from electoral rolls were not isolated to Maharashtra, stating that similar patterns involving lakhs of voters were carried out during assembly elections in West Bengal and Bihar. Directly targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the party labelled him the central architect behind this constitutional decline. Additionally, former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and present chief Gyanesh Kumar were held responsible for undermining democracy. The editorial also accused the commission's leadership of enabling splits within political organizations by allocating original party names and election symbols to breakaway factions.
Demand for Prime Ministerial Action and Role of Opposition Leaders
The publication voiced grave concern that the public has lost faith in crucial constitutional pillars, including the Supreme Court and the Election Commission. Calling for immediate intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the editorial stated that constitutional principles cannot hold meaning while the key figures involved remain in authority. It argued that because those officials will not step down voluntarily, removing them remains the only viable course of action for the government. Lastly, the party commended opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, and Tejashwi Yadav, for consistently questioning electoral anomalies, while also acknowledging the principled stand taken by Commissioners Sukhbir Sandhu and Vivek Joshi in raising internal flags.
