The CPI(M) on Sunday rejected the Election Commission's September 26 statement on its functioning and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying it failed to address serious questions raised by recent disclosures and reiterating its demand for the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
In a statement, the CPI(M) Politburo said concerns raised by opposition parties and civil society organisations over the SIR process had been reinforced by disclosures of objections raised within the Election Commission itself.
"The Election Commission of India's (ECI) statement issued on September 26 does not address the serious questions raised by disclosures about the Commission's functioning and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls," the Politburo said.
The party referred to a September 23 report by The Indian Express which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had repeatedly raised concerns over the enrolment of new voters, deletion of names, centralised access to the electoral database and changes to electoral procedures, including what the CPI(M) described as illegal changes to Form 6.
The CPI(M) said the concerns over the "enforced SIR process across the country" had "only been reinforced by disclosures from within the Commission itself".
"The core issue is whether the electoral process is being conducted transparently, in accordance with law, and with adequate safeguards against the wrongful exclusion of eligible voters," it said.
"The ECI's statement neither addresses nor denies these substantial issues," the party said, adding that it also did not address "accountability for the severe hardships inflicted on citizens by the whimsical and authoritarian acts of one person or a group acting at the behest of the ruling dispensation".
The CPI(M) said Kumar should be held accountable and demanded his resignation.
"Against this backdrop, we reiterate our demand for the immediate resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. If he does not resign, he should be impeached for misconduct. The SIR process must also be halted immediately," the party said.
"Gyanesh Kumar must be held accountable. He must go, particularly in the light of new allegations levelled against him by a senior (retd) IAS officer from Keralam," it added.
The Indian Express report said Sandhu and Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders concerning the SIR exercise, including changes to the statutory Form 6, the handling of additions and deletions from electoral rolls and centralised control over the electoral roll database.
The Election Commission, in its September 26 statement issued after a meeting attended by all three commissioners, asserted that all SIR orders had received unanimous approval from the Commission.
The poll panel also announced measures including home visits by booth-level officers for people facing notices over unmapped and logical discrepancies, help desks and special camps, as well as extensions of the claims and objections deadlines in Delhi and Maharashtra.
(With inputs from PTI)