Kapil Sibal slams EC as 'puppet' of Modi govt amid Bihar voter roll row

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has alleged that the Election Commission has consistently acted as a "puppet" of the Modi government, claiming its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is an "unconstitutional" move designed to keep majoritarian governments in power.

In an interview with PTI, Sibal further asserted that each successive election commissioner has shown increasing "alignment to this government".

Criticising the ongoing SIR exercise, the former law minister argued that the Election Commission lacks the jurisdiction to decide matters of citizenship. The EC, however, has maintained that the revision—undertaken after 22 years—is intended to cleanse the voters’ list of ineligible and duplicate entries while including those legally eligible to vote.

Responding to opposition criticism of the EC over the SIR, Sibal said, "It has always been a puppet in the hands of the government for a long, long time ever since this government came to power." He added, "The conduct of the Election Commission, the less said about it, the better."

"In fact, each election commissioner surpasses the previous one in his alignment to this government," Sibal said.

On the SIR process, he remarked, "This is according to me a completely unconstitutional process that is being carried on. The Commission doesn't have the jurisdiction to decide issues of citizenship and that also by a block level officer."

"I have been saying that they (BJP) adopt all possible means to somehow win elections. In fact, this whole particular process of a special intensive revision is a process to ensure majoritarian governments for all times to come," he said.

"This is the intent because if you delete the names of the poor people, the marginalised, the adivasis, you will ensure that the majoritarian party always wins. So this is yet another way of ensuring that and this is very worrisome," Sibal added.

He reiterated his longstanding view that the Election Commission has failed to demonstrate the independence expected of it. On the Supreme Court’s interim order regarding the SIR, Sibal declined to comment, citing his role as counsel in the matter.

"Whatever the court has said will be taken into account hopefully by the EC itself. So that we don't have this controversy moving forward," he said.

With the monsoon session of Parliament approaching, Sibal emphasised that the SIR issue is perhaps more significant than any other currently being discussed. He also raised concerns about voter registration patterns in Maharashtra, stating, "The EC has still not been able to explain how there was a sudden spurt of voters only in those constituencies where the BJP has won."

Sibal’s remarks follow the Supreme Court’s recent directive asking the Election Commission to consider Aadhaar, Voter ID, and ration cards as valid documents during the SIR in Bihar, which is set to hold elections later this year.

Calling the SIR a "constitutional mandate", Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi heard submissions from senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the EC, and allowed the poll panel to proceed with the exercise involving over 7 crore voters.

(inputs from PTI)