New Delhi: Over 700 citizens, including transparency activists and former civil servants, have petitioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure transparency in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
The petition, sent on Monday (February 3), urged the ECI to take measures to maintain public trust in the electoral process, which is crucial for a robust democracy.
“In the 2024 general elections and the recently concluded state elections, various concerns arose about voter turnout data and differences between votes polled and counted. While we have perused the explanations and materials put out by the ECI to address some of the concerns, we believe that in order to ensure voter confidence in the electoral process, it is critical to place in the public domain authentic and certified records, which are created during the polling and counting processes,” the petition mentioned.
The petitioners specifically requested the ECI to publish election-related records on its website, including:
- Form 17C (Part I and II): Documents related to voter turnout and election results.
- Form 20 – The Final Result Sheet: The official declaration of election results.
- Information on slips issued to electors: Details on the number of slips issued to voters standing in queue at the closing hour of the poll.
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“We hope the ECI will take the salutary step of proactively disclosing authentic records related to the upcoming Delhi legislative Assembly elections in a timely manner on its website. Public trust in the electoral process is key to ensure robust functioning of our democracy and as the Hon’ble Supreme Court has repeatedly held, sunshine is the best disinfectant,” the petition added.
The signatories to the petition include notable figures such as transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj, activist and advocate Prashant Bhushan, political activist Yogendra Yadav, former ambassador Ashok Sharma, activist and former IAS officer Harsh Mander, former chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities Wajahat Habibullah, former IAS officer Aditi Mehta, activist Shabnam Hashmi, former chief central information commissioner Deepak Sandhu, former central information commissioner M. M. Ansari, scientist and social activist Gauhar Raza, former central information commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu, commodore (retd.) Lokesh K. Batra, among others.
The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled to take place on February 5.
