"Challenge for EC is trust deficit," says Congress MP Manish Tewari amid allegations of "voter fraud"

New Delhi [India], August 17 (ANI): Amid allegations of "voter fraud" on the Election Commission, Congress MP Manish Tewari outlined that the poll body is facing a challenge of "trust deficit" as it carries "very little conviction" and almost "zero credibility."
Objecting to the appointment process of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, Manish Tewari stated that no matter how many press conferences the EC holds, it will not matter even one bit.
"The challenge for the EC is, as the Supreme Court had obitered, TRUST DEFICIT. The EC carries very little conviction or, for that matter, almost zero credibility with large swathes of the political firmament and by extension the people of India," Tewari said in a post on X.
"As long as the executive 'veto 'remains with regard to the appointment of the Commissioners of the EC no matter how many Press Conferences the EC does it will not matter even one bit whatsoever," he added.
The President appoints the CEC and ECs based on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by PM under the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
Tewari advised EC to "correct" its perception that it is an extension counter of the Union Government."
"The EC has to correct the widely held perception that it is an extension counter of the Union Government. It, unfortunately, is now a sobriquet like the 'Godi Media'. This is not good for Indian Democracy," Manish Tewari said on X.
https://x.com/ManishTewari/status/1956909381234364571
Manish Tewari's remarks came after EC flagged that the time to raise issues about errors in the electoral rolls, even those in the past, was during the "Claims and Objections" period.
According to the EC, the precise objective behind sharing the electoral roll with all political parties and candidates was so that any issue regarding the same can be raised on time. The constitutional body raised the issue of political parties and their Booth Level Agents not examining the electoral rolls at the appropriate time.
It said that the digital and physical copies are shared with recognised political parties after the publication of the final electoral roll on the EC's website.
"Recently, some Political Parties and individuals are raising issues about errors in the Electoral Rolls, including those prepared in the past. The appropriate time to raise any issue with the Electoral Rolls would have been during the Claims and Objections period of that phase, which is precisely the objective behind sharing the Electoral Rolls with all Political Parties and the Candidates," EC said in an official release.
"Had these issues been raised at the right time through the right channels, it would have enabled the concerned SDM EROs to correct the mistakes, if genuine, before those elections," the release read. (ANI)