Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has accused the Election Commission (EC) of functioning as a “puppet” in the hands of the Modi government. Speaking on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, Sibal termed the move “unconstitutional” and claimed it was intended to ensure that majoritarian governments remain in power, reported The Hindu.
In a recent interview, Sibal questioned the EC’s authority in conducting the revision exercise and alleged that each new Election Commissioner has shown increasing alignment with the government.
“The Election Commission doesn’t have the jurisdiction to decide issues of citizenship – certainly not through block-level officers,” Sibal said. “This entire process is designed to delete names of the poor, the marginalised, the Adivasis, ensuring that only the majoritarian party benefits.”
Referring to the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar – being carried out after 22 years – the EC has maintained that the drive aims to clean the voters’ list by removing ineligible and duplicate entries and adding legitimate voters.
Sibal, however, said, “It’s not just about voter list revision; it’s about manipulating the democratic process. This is extremely worrisome.”
He added that the Monsoon Session of Parliament must give priority to this issue. He refrained from commenting on the SC’s interim order on the matter, stating that he is a counsel involved in the case.