Tripura CM Dr Manik Saha defended CEC Gyanesh Kumar, saying electoral roll revisions helped reflect the public mandate in West Bengal and arguing that opposition criticism of election fairness is selective.
Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Friday defended Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid political criticism over the fairness of elections, arguing that questions about the Election Commission are often raised selectively when the BJP wins.
Speaking at a party gathering, Dr Saha said electoral roll revisions in West Bengal resulted in the removal of dead and ineligible voters, which, according to him, helped ensure that the actual mandate of voters was reflected in the election results.
“After the electoral rolls in Bengal were revised dead and ineligible voters had been removed which is why the true mandate of the public was reflected in the polls results of Bengal,” Dr Saha said.
He credited the CEC with overseeing the electoral process during what he described as a political change of guard in West Bengal. Dr Saha also thanked Gyanesh Kumar for his role in ensuring what he termed fair elections in the state.
The Tripura Chief Minister criticised opposition parties for raising questions about electoral fairness, claiming that such concerns become prominent primarily in states where the BJP emerges victorious. He said the controversy surrounding the Chief Election Commissioner had become a major issue for opposition parties across the country.
“The controversy related to Chief Election Commissioner, is acting as a breath of fresh air for the opposition. They have started making it an issue all over the country but mark my words, this country has a strong democratic set up. All these theatrics shall fail to yield any results at the end,” Dr Saha said.
Referring to political developments in West Bengal and Kerala, Dr Saha said changes in government took place in the two states around the same period, but criticism of the election process was not raised with the same intensity when opposition parties secured victories.
“You will never hear a single word uttered on the opposition’s victory in Kerala. If the allegations raised against the CEC are true, BJP would have easily won Kerala. Whenever the opposition wins an election, complaints related to fairness of elections just stop,” he said.
Dr Saha also targeted opposition parties in Tripura, accusing them of repeatedly spreading what he described as misinformation and attempting to mislead the public. He alleged that opposition leaders had developed a pattern of raising similar issues at regular intervals to attract public attention.
The Chief Minister further claimed that opposition parties had coordinated their statements to repeatedly raise allegations against the government and electoral institutions.
| Also Read: SFI and DYFI activists detained after TET aspirants protest in city |
His remarks come amid continuing political debate over electoral rolls, the Election Commission and the conduct of elections, with opposition parties raising concerns over electoral processes while the ruling BJP has defended the institutional framework and the conduct of polls.
