How the election commission soft-peddles the Congress

It is nothing short of blasphemy. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is supposed to be politically neutral. But is it? The answer is a ‘no’. It appears as if the ECI is electronically campaigning for the ruling Congress!

If you don’t believe that, log on to eci.gov.in and see the ‘hand’ of the Congress used with details on the 2009 general elections — like the training module, compendium of instructions of conduct of elections in four volumes and handbooks for candidates, agents and those conducting the elections.

The attention of no opposition party has yet gone to this fine e-made detail in the EC’s refurbished website, but two former chief election commissioners have taken notice and said that the symbols of political parties should not be used as icons as they put a question mark on the impartiality of the commission.

Despite several requests ECI officials refused to speak about this on record. However, they maintained that chief election commissioner SY Quraishi had approved the design and content of the website and the training module. And, they add, he is the only one authorised to speak on the issue. But Quraishi, too, remained unavailable for a  comment.