The Crossbill News Desk
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday (May 10) raised strong objections before the Election Commission (EC) on a wide range of issues, including what it termed as the misuse of religion for political gain, the push for 'One Nation, One Election', proposals to regulate manifesto promises, and growing concerns over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
During the meeting with the full bench of the Election Commission—comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi—the CPI(M) delegation, led by General Secretary M.A. Baby, Polit Bureau member Nilotpal Basu and Central Secretariat member Muralidharan, submitted a detailed memorandum outlining its concerns.
Calling attention to what it described as the EC’s “faltering approach” in dealing with the communalisation of the election campaign, the party accused the Commission of initially refusing to act on complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The CPI(M) criticised the poll panel for inaction despite issuing advisories on the decline in public discourse. It also accused top government figures, including the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, of misusing their offices during the election period. The party warned that military actions such as ‘Operation Sindoor’ could be exploited for electoral advantage.
On the government’s plan for simultaneous elections, the CPI(M) argued that the proposal threatens federalism and democracy, as it would require shortening the term of several state assemblies to align with Lok Sabha polls. The party called the plan a violation of the Constitution’s basic structure.
The CPI(M) also opposed the idea of legally regulating manifesto promises that involve financial commitments, stating that such a move would undermine political parties' freedom to present their vision to the electorate.
“On the surface, though it may seem to underscore the importance of transparency and accountability in the electoral process, it strikes against the right of political parties to freely express their policies, programmes and promises to the people,” the party said in the memorandum.
The party asserted that the Model Code of Conduct already provides sufficient guidance on transparency.
Raising the issue of electoral representation, the CPI(M) cited the mismatch between vote share and seat share in successive Lok Sabha elections. It pointed to the BJP's 2014 victory with just 31% of the vote and the 2024 results where the party won 240 seats with 36.56% vote share, while Congress, with 19.3% in 2014, had secured only 44 seats. The party renewed its call for exploring proportional representation as a more equitable system.
Expressing continued scepticism over EVMs, the CPI(M) urged the EC to address what it termed as “growing doubts” regarding their integrity. It suggested changing the sequence of the VVPAT setup—placing it after the Control Unit instead of before—to enhance voter confidence in the process.
“As per the current sequence… first is the ballot unit, followed by the VVPAT, and last… is the Control Unit… There are doubts over whether (the voter’s) choice is actually recorded in the Control Unit… We and many others have been suggesting that the VVPAT be placed after the Control Unit. This would clear doubts that exist about the integrity of the process,” the party said.
The party also questioned discrepancies between initial voter turnout data and the final figures, often released several days later. It demanded more transparency in the reporting of turnout figures.
CPI(M) leaders further highlighted the undue influence of money in elections, asserting that it undermines the level playing field and compromises the fairness of the process.
The party reiterated its concerns over the recent changes in the appointment process of election commissioners, stressing the need for a truly independent and autonomous Election Commission.
This was the Election Commission’s third meeting with political parties as part of its outreach initiative, following earlier consultations with the BSP and the BJP.
During the meeting with the full bench of the Election Commission—comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi—the CPI(M) delegation, led by General Secretary M.A. Baby, Polit Bureau member Nilotpal Basu and Central Secretariat member Muralidharan, submitted a detailed memorandum outlining its concerns.
Calling attention to what it described as the EC’s “faltering approach” in dealing with the communalisation of the election campaign, the party accused the Commission of initially refusing to act on complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The CPI(M) criticised the poll panel for inaction despite issuing advisories on the decline in public discourse. It also accused top government figures, including the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, of misusing their offices during the election period. The party warned that military actions such as ‘Operation Sindoor’ could be exploited for electoral advantage.
On the government’s plan for simultaneous elections, the CPI(M) argued that the proposal threatens federalism and democracy, as it would require shortening the term of several state assemblies to align with Lok Sabha polls. The party called the plan a violation of the Constitution’s basic structure.
The CPI(M) also opposed the idea of legally regulating manifesto promises that involve financial commitments, stating that such a move would undermine political parties' freedom to present their vision to the electorate.
“On the surface, though it may seem to underscore the importance of transparency and accountability in the electoral process, it strikes against the right of political parties to freely express their policies, programmes and promises to the people,” the party said in the memorandum.
The party asserted that the Model Code of Conduct already provides sufficient guidance on transparency.
Raising the issue of electoral representation, the CPI(M) cited the mismatch between vote share and seat share in successive Lok Sabha elections. It pointed to the BJP's 2014 victory with just 31% of the vote and the 2024 results where the party won 240 seats with 36.56% vote share, while Congress, with 19.3% in 2014, had secured only 44 seats. The party renewed its call for exploring proportional representation as a more equitable system.
Expressing continued scepticism over EVMs, the CPI(M) urged the EC to address what it termed as “growing doubts” regarding their integrity. It suggested changing the sequence of the VVPAT setup—placing it after the Control Unit instead of before—to enhance voter confidence in the process.
“As per the current sequence… first is the ballot unit, followed by the VVPAT, and last… is the Control Unit… There are doubts over whether (the voter’s) choice is actually recorded in the Control Unit… We and many others have been suggesting that the VVPAT be placed after the Control Unit. This would clear doubts that exist about the integrity of the process,” the party said.
The party also questioned discrepancies between initial voter turnout data and the final figures, often released several days later. It demanded more transparency in the reporting of turnout figures.
CPI(M) leaders further highlighted the undue influence of money in elections, asserting that it undermines the level playing field and compromises the fairness of the process.
The party reiterated its concerns over the recent changes in the appointment process of election commissioners, stressing the need for a truly independent and autonomous Election Commission.
This was the Election Commission’s third meeting with political parties as part of its outreach initiative, following earlier consultations with the BSP and the BJP.
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