Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 17 : Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader TKS Elangovan on Sunday criticised Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that whenever the opposition raises concerns against the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to its "defence."
He further said that if the ECI is "bungling" with the voter list, then it must answer the "vote theft" allegations made by the opposition parties.
"If the Election Commission is bungling with the voter list, they will have to answer the allegations made by the opposition party...unfortunately, when we make allegations, the BJP comes to their defence...", Elangovan told ANI.
Earlier in the day, refuting the opposition's claims of "vote theft" during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that neither the ECI nor the voters are "afraid" of such "false" allegations.
It was the first press conference conducted by the constitutional body following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar. Opposition leaders had raised allegations of "vote theft" during the SIR exercise in Bihar and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Gyanesh Kumar mentioned that while some voters had alleged instances of double voting in recent days, no proof was submitted when asked.
"Some voters alleged double voting. When asked for proof, no answer was given. Neither the Election Commission nor any voter is afraid of such false allegations," CEC Kumar told reporters.
CEC affirmed that the Election Commission "stood like a rock" with every section of society without any discrimination.
"When politics is being done by targeting the voters of India by keeping a gun on the shoulder of the Election Commission, today the Election Commission wants to make it clear to everyone that it fearlessly stood like a rock with all the voters of all sections and all religions including the poor, rich, elderly, women, youth without any discrimination," CEC said.
He stated that the ECI doesn't belong to any party and it will not step back from its "constitutional duty". CEC stated that there is no discrimination in the eyes of the ECI and every political party is equal.
"For the Election Commission, there is neither any opposition nor any party. All are equal. No matter who belongs to any political party, the Election Commission will not step back from its constitutional duty," CEC Kumar told reporters on Sunday.