New Delhi: Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who demitted office on Tuesday (February 18), said that the Election Commission and election officials have emerged as a “convenient scapegoat” and that a “pressing concern is the growing tendency to target election officials in the aftermath of electoral contests”.
In his farewell address on February 17 – his last full day in office – Kumar said that he had observed a “pattern in the timing of certain narratives” during peak polling or counting hours, including fake allegations that mislead people, while the Commission follows a policy of restraint.
Kumar, who oversaw the conduct of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has faced criticism during his tenure about the eroding independence of the Election Commission and its credibility as an impartial and independent body.
In his farewell address, Kumar said that the Commission is “unfairly blamed” by those “unwilling to accept electoral outcomes” and the poll body has become a “convenient scapegoat”.
“The Commission, as an institution, often finds itself unfairly blamed by those unwilling to accept electoral outcomes. A pressing concern is the growing tendency to target election officials in the aftermath of electoral contests. It is perceived as a convenient scapegoat,” he said.
He earlier made similar remarks in October, following questions from the Congress alleging irregularities in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and their batteries during the counting of votes for the Haryana assembly elections.
Calling the EVMs ”safe” and “robust”, Kumar had said: “It cannot be that when the results don’t suit you, then it is working wrongly.”
Following the Maharashtra assembly elections, opposition parties from the state questioned how there were more voters in Maharashtra than its adult population.
“All candidates and parties are involved in every stage of the process with utmost transparency. Having participated in each step, without raising objections or filing appeals during the process, then attempting to create doubt afterward is undesirable. Dialogue should always be the preferred approach and while the Commission reacts with sagacity, stoicism and restraint, this is a disturbing trend and should be abandoned soon,” said Kumar on Monday.
Kumar also said he had “observed a pattern in the timing of certain narratives”.
“During peak polling or counting hours, a wave of fake allegations and rumors begins to spread across media and social media, misleading people and creating confusion. Narratives are deliberately set to distort facts. However, the Commission follows a policy of restraint, choosing not to respond while the election process is underway, ensuring that focus remains on the integrity and smooth conduct of the elections.”
Kumar’s four-and-a-half years in office have been described by the Election Commission in its farewell note as spanning “one full electoral cycle with conduct of elections in 31 States/UTs, the Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections 2022, Lok Sabha elections 2024 and Rajya Sabha renewals.”
However, he faced increasing questions of independence during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the poll body’s inaction on divisive speeches delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In his farewell speech however, Kumar said that a “concerning trend” had emerged “with political discourse increasingly becoming such that scars are left even after campaign period”.
“A concerning trend has emerged in recent years, with political discourse increasingly becoming such that scars are left even after campaign period. This not only lowers the quality of debate, but also risks disillusioning our youth with the electoral process.
“Should we not strive for a more constructive and dignified dialogue? Should political parties not focus on issue-based debates? Should political parties not take responsibility for encouraging youth participation through their campaigns? These are the questions political parties must introspect,” he said.
