Former CEC Quraishi says EC has been ‘very unfair’ to Opposition, credibility eroded
Former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi alleged the Election Commission has been unfair to Opposition parties, saying its credibility has suffered significantly. He urged the poll body to uphold impartiality, ensure equal access and restore public confidence in the institution
New Delhi: Former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on Tuesday alleged that the current Election Commission has been “very unfair” to opposition parties and asserted that the poll body’s image and credibility have taken a “severe beating”.
Quraishi, who served as the CEC between 2010 and 2012, said that the commission’s legacy of being one of the country’s most credible institutions has been eroded, and that he was “very sad” about it.
In an exclusive interview with PTI Videos ahead of the launch of his new book ‘India and I: A Hundred Memories, Not a Memoir’, the former CEC said his policies helped opposition parties, particularly the BJP. The book, published by Hachette India throws light on 100 episodes from Quraishi’s life. Quraishi served as the 17th CEC and introduced major electoral reforms, including the Voter Education Division, the Expenditure Monitoring Division and the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).
Asked about allegations that the current EC has been unfair to the opposition and a letter by 24 opposition parties to Chief Justice Surya Kant, “Well, that again is a very painful chapter because as I’ve written, my declared policy was to be with the opposition because they are the underdogs, they are out of power, they need your support.”
“The government has long hands; it can get many things done as it is. So, it is the opposition which needs handholding and support. “I had told all my officers to please open all your doors to the opposition. If they want an appointment tomorrow, give them today… If you get two requests for an appointment, one from the government and one from the opposition, prefer the opposition because we have to enjoy the trust of the entire country, particularly of the opposition,” Quraishi told PTI. Quraishi said in his time as the CEC, the opposition was very comfortable with the commission.
“And let me remind you that in my entire tenure, the main opposition party was the BJP. And if some of their leaders criticise me, they’re being very short-sighted. My policy has actually benefited the opposition, particularly the BJP. So, that’s very important to remember,” he said.
On whether the EC has been a “little unfair” to the opposition, Quraishi said “little unfair” is a gross understatement, as they have been “very unfair”. “Which is why twice in the last five years they have gone to the Supreme Court. Twenty-four parties are going to the Supreme Court on appeal because the Election Commission is not giving them a hearing… That’s not acceptable. How are they (EC) doing it, and how are they getting away with it? That surprises me. That is not what is expected of the Election Commission,” Quraishi said.
The EC has to take everybody along, Quraishi asserted. The current EC comprises Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. Quraishi said, “We see a large section of the media, instead of questioning the government, is questioning the opposition.
They’re going back to (Jawaharlal) Nehru’s time. They’re questioning the opposition; it should be the other way round. In a democracy, you question the government.” He stressed that the government is answerable to the people.
“We find that the opposition, they keep begging for an appointment, they don’t get the appointment, and I’m not making a wild allegation, 24 parties have gone to the Supreme Court as recently as a week ago…they’ve written to the CJI and a few years ago they had appeared before the Supreme Court with the complaint of the same nature,” he said.
Asked about his assertion that the EC should be fair and also ensure that it appears to be fair, Quraishi said, “As you said, firstly, they have to be fair. The question is whether they are being fair. The appearing to be fair is the second thing. So the fact that not me but the people who are questioning all that. That is something about which EC should introspect.”
“And let’s remember there are three members and all three will have different temperaments, and I’m sure there must be some internal debate going on about what is happening to the Election Commission, its working, and its image,” he said.
Reflecting on his tenure as CEC, Quraishi said he was most proud of four initiatives that have stood the test of time. “One is that I focused on voter education and set up a voter education division. As a result, since 2010, every election has given a historic turnout. It is only getting higher and higher. Secondly, I tried to do money control. So, I set up another new division called the expenditure monitoring division. Third, I started National Voters’ Day…And the fourth important thing is the training institute called India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM),” he said.
All four initiatives have endured and gone from strength to strength, he asserted. “But one legacy, which is the difficult part of your question, one legacy was the image and the credibility of the Election Commission. I am very sorry to say, and may I hope I’m wrong, that it has gotten a severe beating.
“The way people are raising questions, I know, it hurts me because it feels as if somebody’s slapping me because that is the institution which has enjoyed the highest credibility in the country… so that legacy I do feel has gotten eroded,” Quraishi said.
