Latest changes on postal ballots to favour ruling party: Sitaram Yechury to EC

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has written to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, objecting to the "unilateral" measures being taken by the Election Commission that alters the electoral procedures that could lead to instances of "manipulation and malpractice" resulting in "potential favour of the ruling party".

He said there was no consultation with political parties both in October last year, when people above the age of 80 years were allowed postal vote, and now in June allowing people above 65 years the option of postal ballots.

Yechury said the current changes in rules were contrary to the past practice. "From the media reports we are constrained to infer that the tearing hurry that the ECI displays is on account of the impending Bihar Assembly elections scheduled to be held in November, 2020," he said.

He was of the view that a consensus among political parties and the Election Commission is necessary for introducing new voting practices which will adversely affect the verifiability of a large number of voters, "thus, transparency and integrity of the process; not to mention, the leverage available to the incumbent administration in organising the postal ballots".

"Our electoral system has always treated physical verifiability of the voters as the bedrock of integrity. With the two amendments to the rules, a very large number of voters will be out of the verifiability matrix. This assumes great significance because of instances of manipulation and malpractice even with the comparatively low number of postal ballots used by service personnel on election duty," he said.

"With the unresolved question of opaque electoral bonds on poll funding, which remains pending before the Supreme Court, where the ECI has itself agreed with us that this poses a major challenge in monitoring and supervising income/expenditure, this new use of postal ballots will further aggravate the situation in potential favour of the ruling party," Yechury said in the letter.

On June 19, the Ministry of Law and Justice notified fresh change to allow those aged 65 years and above the option of postal ballots. The amended rules also allow “Covid-19 suspect or affected persons” the same option of postal ballots.

Yechury reminded the Election Commission that it had always insisted that it would not unilaterally exercise power given to it under Article 324 that allows "control and superintendence" of elections mandated by the Constitution.

He said it had created an "extremely healthy precedent" of recognising the political parties, representing the people, as principal stakeholders.

He noted that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), a major electoral reform, was arrived at through the consensus of the entire spectrum of parties. "Even though this is not backed by statutory empowerment, it has never been questioned. This practice has reinforced transparency in the system earning widespread appreciation," he said.