In open letter to Election Commission, SKM calls for 'free, transparent' counting on June 4

Mohit Khanna 

Patiala, June 2

Samyukt Kisan Morcha wrote an open letter on Sunday to the Election Commission of India urging to ensure “free and transparent” counting.

In the open letter, the SKM, which had spearheaded the protests against the now-withdrawn farm laws, said they are apprehensive about tampering in the counting process.

“On behalf of the farmers from across India, we wish to bring to your kind attention our apprehension on any eventuality of tampering with the counting process – scheduled for June 4, 2024, to subvert the people’s verdict to help the present regime to cling on power,” the SKM said.

“Unlike the past elections, the farmers of India had directly opposed the election campaign of the BJP against the gross betrayal in implementing the written agreement with SKM especially regarding MSP and loan waiver and to expose its corporate policies,” they said.

They further said that “the BJP had spewed venom during election campaigning, abusing the farmers as anti-nationals, funded by foreign terrorists and Khalistanis.”

“During the election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders continuously violated the Model Code of Conduct and the Constitution of India by consistently dared to make hate speeches against the principal minority community,” the SKM said.

They said SKM publicly requested the ECI to take punitive action and put a six-year ban to contest elections on those including Narendra Modi and whoever violated the law.

“Unfortunately, the ECI adhered to the reticent way of inaction, delaying action and finally concluded it with ‘giving advice’ to the law breakers. Thus, the failure of ECI in upholding constitutional responsibility allowed BJP’s divisive ideology to prevail and influence the people at large during the election,” they said.

“The soft handling and resultant failure to restrain the Prime Minister has lent serious doubts in the minds of the people at large about the entire election process as a ‘favour’ to the BJP in its efforts to hang on power.”

The SKM also accused the ECI of not ensuring transparency in conducting press briefing and providing poll data. “There were serious discrepancies in the provided data. Later, the ECI released constituency wise data of vote polled after the entire issue had been brought to the attention of the Supreme Court. This was never the conduct of the ECI in the past,” they said.

“The removal of the Chief Justice of India from the committee to appoint the members of the Election Commission of India had been morally incorrect.

“Such a series of omissions have created distrust among the public on the neutrality of the ECI and created serious apprehensions on the potential of the present regime to tamper the people’s verdict during the counting of votes,” the SKM said.

The SKM in their letter urged the poll panel to “ensure free and transparent counting as per the procedure,” and to share the exact details of the votes periodically with the public as warranted by rules to dispense any doubts on manipulation.

“Lastly, we wish to state once again that we do not want the Election Commission of India to give the farmers and the people of the country any reason to believe that their popular mandate has been undermined by any element of unfair conduct in any constituency,” they added.