Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar expressed strong disapproval on Monday, June 3, after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of calling 150 district magistrates (DMs) across Bharat following the Lok Sabha election voting. Kumar dismissed these claims as baseless rumors that spread doubt unnecessarily.
Kumar emphasized the integrity of the election process and challenged the veracity of Ramesh’s allegations. “Can someone influence all district magistrates and returning officers? Tell us who did this. We will punish the person responsible. It is not right to spread rumors and doubt everyone,” Kumar stated at a press briefing, held a day before the vote count for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
#WATCH | On Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's allegations that Union HM called DMs/ROs (Returning Officers), CEC Rajiv Kumar says, "…Can someone influence them (DMs/ROs) all? Tell us who did this. We will punish the person who did it…It is not right that you spread a rumour and… pic.twitter.com/iejNzcZQ2G
— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2024
Responding to concerns raised by multiple political parties, Kumar reassured the public that all their demands had been addressed. He confirmed that there would be CCTV monitoring of the movements of the control units as requested by the parties.
A delegation from the opposition’s INDIA bloc had met with the Election Commission to ensure strict adherence to guidelines during the vote count on June 4.
Previously, the Election Commission had sought concrete details from Jairam Ramesh regarding his claims that Amit Shah had called 150 DMs just before the scheduled vote count. The EC demanded a response from Ramesh by June 2 to take further action.
In a letter to Ramesh, the Election Commission emphasized the importance of maintaining public trust in the vote-counting process, calling it a “sacred duty” for every returning officer. The EC stressed that Ramesh’s public statements could undermine this trust and urged him to provide specific information to substantiate his claims. The EC noted that no DM had reported any undue influence.
On Saturday, Jairam Ramesh baselessly alleged that the “outgoing Home Minister” had been calling DMs and collectors, accusing Shah of “blatant and brazen intimidation” due to BJP’s alleged desperation.
Ramesh claimed that Shah had already contacted 150 officials, urging them not to succumb to pressure and to uphold the Constitution. He predicted a victory for the opposition’s INDIA Janbandhan on June 4, claiming the BJP would be defeated.
However, exit polls suggested otherwise, predicting a strong BJP victory and a third consecutive term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These predictions indicated that Modi, after leading a vigorous campaign, was on track to make history alongside Jawaharlal Nehru as one of the few Prime Ministers to win three successive terms.
As the country awaited the official results, Rajiv Kumar’s firm stance and the Election Commission’s transparent handling of the election process reinforced the credibility of Bharat’s democratic institutions against baseless allegations.
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