Bhubaneswar: AICC general secretary K C Venugopal claimed on Sunday that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has become an arm of the BJP, serving as a super body for manipulating votes. He made this assertion while addressing the media after meetings with Political Affairs Committee (PAC) members and leaders of various Congress wings in Odisha. The discussions revolved around concerns of vote manipulation and the need to strengthen the party’s organization. Venugopal emphasized, “The people of India expect free and fair elections from the ECI, which is its fundamental responsibility.
However, the Commission now operates as a BJP department and has lost its neutrality, failing to perform its duties impartially.” He criticized the ECI for not incorporating Aadhaar cards as valid identification for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, despite a Supreme Court ruling. He remarked, “The SIR is being used for vote tampering, not to enhance democracy, which is why we are protesting.” Venugopal reiterated the Congress’s commitment to opposing the BJP government both at the national level and in Odisha, asserting that the Congress remains the sole Opposition party in the state as no other party fulfills that role.
He noted that Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, actively engages with the public about issues of vote manipulation, which he termed the country’s most significant problem. In addition to vote manipulation and unemployment, the Congress will also address issues affecting women, tribal communities, and others in Odisha. To bolster the party’s presence in the state, Venugopal announced that district unit committees would be established by the end of the month, followed by the formation of block, mandal, and booth committees by the State committee. On Sunday, student leader Harishankar Rout, who recently left the BJD, joined the Congress party in a ceremony attended by Venugopal, Odisha in-charge Ajaya Kumar Lallu, State president Bhakta Charan Das, and others.