‘ECI Is Made Scapegoat’: Outgoing CEC Rajiv Kumar Criticizes Trend of Blaming Election Commission

On Monday, outgoing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar delivered his farewell address, where he strongly criticized the tendency of blaming the Election Commission of India (ECI) for electoral losses. He stated that those who refuse to accept election results often use the commission as a “scapegoat.”

“The Commission, as an institution, often finds itself unfairly blamed by those unwilling to accept electoral outcomes. A pressing concern is the growing tendency to target election officials in the aftermath of electoral contests. It is perceived as a convenient scapegoat,” Rajiv Kumar said.

Candidates are Part of a Transparent Process

Rajiv Kumar emphasized that blaming the ECI for poll defeats should stop.

“Dialogue should always be the preferred approach and while the Commission reacts with sagacity, stoicism, and restraint, this is a disturbing trend and should be abandoned soon,” he stated.

Opposition Allegations Against the ECI

For instance, on February 7, Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleged discrepancies in Maharashtra’s voter count. He claimed that the number of eligible voters increased by 39 lakh between the Lok Sabha elections in April-June 2024 and the Maharashtra state assembly elections in November of the same year.

During the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes Congress, won 30 out of Maharashtra’s 48 Lok Sabha seats. However, in the assembly elections, the BJP-led ruling coalition, Mahayuti, secured a landslide victory, winning 230 out of 288 constituencies.

Opposition’s Concerns Over EVMs

In October 2024, after losing the Haryana assembly elections despite BJP facing 10 years of anti-incumbency, the Congress took an unprecedented step by refusing to accept the election results. The party alleged there was a “gross mismatch” between votes polled and votes counted.