Jammu, Oct 3 (IANS) An INDIA bloc meeting was convened in Jammu and Kashmir’s Jammu on Saturday to deliberate on the Opposition alliance’s proposed course of action over its allegations concerning the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and its demand for action against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The meeting was presided over by senior Congress leader and former Minister Raman Bhalla, with the participants discussing the alliance’s action plan in connection with the ongoing campaign on electoral issues and the functioning of the poll panel.
The INDIA bloc has alleged that the Election Commission has come under what it describes as “institutional capture” and has called for the removal, prosecution and arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
These are demands being raised by the Opposition alliance as part of its wider campaign concerning electoral transparency and accountability.
The meeting comes amid a series of protests and political programmes by the Congress and opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir over allegations relating to the electoral process.
The Congress had also held demonstrations across Jammu and Kashmir on September 28, with Bhalla calling for transparency and accountability in the functioning of the Election Commission.
The participants discussed the further course of action and mobilisation under the INDIA bloc’s campaign on electoral and democratic issues.
The INDIA bloc has united in a campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and accused the Election Commission of alleged electoral malpractices and “vote theft” linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Opposition leaders have accused CEC Gyanesh Kumar of failing to answer serious questions regarding massive voter deletions (more than 13 crore names dropped during SIR) and have moved to submit an impeachment notice against him.
The bloc launched a pan-India campaign from October 2 to October 8 featuring district-level “Save Democracy” rallies and public demonstrations.
Opposition MPs announced a planned march to the Election Commission office in Delhi on October 6.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other alliance leaders have called for returning to paper ballot voting instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), alongside a demand to use pre-SIR electoral rolls for future elections.
–IANS
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