Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], September 28 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president Palla Srinivasa Rao has come out strongly in defence of the Election Commission of India (ECI), dismissing the Congress party's allegations against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the poll body as "politically motivated and baseless".
Palla Srinivasa Rao stated that the allegations levelled by the Congress carry no weight and are driven by a political agenda. He emphasised that the ECI is an independent, autonomous constitutional body that must be respected by all.
He reminded that India has a proud tradition of conducting free and fair elections, and managing an electorate of nearly 97 crore voters is a mammoth task. He lauded the ECI for executing this huge responsibility effectively over the years.
Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Rao said the ECI had proactively invited all political parties to raise their objections and concerns. Representing the TDP, he had attended the meeting and held fruitful discussions with CEC Kumar and other Election Commissioners.
According to him, all apprehensions surrounding the SIR process were cleared during the discussion ahead of the Bihar elections. Every doubt raised by the party was addressed and clarified to their satisfaction.
Reiterating full confidence in the present leadership, Rao said he firmly believes CEC Kumar has adequate knowledge and experience of the electoral process.
He concluded by stating that the allegations against the ECI lack substance and should be seen only as a political narrative.
Rao said that initially, most political parties felt Aadhaar, being authenticated data, should be considered for enrolment in electoral rolls.
However, in detailed discussions with the ECI, it became clear that Aadhaar data is not foolproof. Except for the name, other details in Aadhaar can be modified, so it cannot be treated as the sole authentic document for voter enrolment.
He said the ECI flagged this as a major challenge, particularly for border states sharing boundaries with countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar.
In contrast, South and Central India do not face this issue to the same extent, as they have robust data linkages. Here, Aadhaar is strongly linked with service records, lineage and panchayat data.
Under the Special Intensive Revision, the ECI has fixed five to six parameters, and an elector has to satisfy at least one parameter related to self, residence or family for enrolment.
Palla said the SIR is being implemented effectively and such reforms are crucial for India's growth and its emergence as Vishwaguru on the global stage.
He dismissed the allegations made by the Congress and other opposition parties as purely political and without any factual basis. After direct engagement with the ECI, it is evident that the Commission is doing an exceptional job for the country's future. (ANI)
Andhra TDP president Palla Srinivasa Rao dismisses Congress allegations against CEC, ECI as “politically motivated”
