Election Commission 'dysfunctional', 'failed institution', says Kapil Sibal

Terming the Election Commission "dysfunctional" and a "failed" institution, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has claimed that a large section of the people do not have faith in the poll body as it has not discharged its functions in accordance with its constitutional responsibilities.

In an interview with PTI, Sibal said the quicker the issue of lack of faith in the Election Commission is dealt with, the greater is the chance of saving democracy.

"The Election Commission is a dysfunctional body. The Election Commission has not discharged its functions in accordance with its responsibilities which are expected of it under the Constitution," he said when asked about the Congress' and TMC's allegations about voters list irregularities. 

The Election Commission as it stands today is a "failed institution" and there is no confidence in the Election Commission among a large section of the people of this country, the Independent Rajya Sabha MP said.

"Therefore, the quicker we deal with this issue, the greater is the chance of saving democracy," Sibal said.

"The message to the opposition is that apart from the EVMs, there are some really serious issues which in fact suggest that the process of elections is polluted," he said.

The results that have come about may have been the result of manipulations at many levels, Sibal claimed.

"We need to address that issue together," the former Congress leader asserted.

His remarks come in the backdrop of the Congress and INDIA bloc parties repeatedly raising issues of voter lists, including abnormally high additions, unexpected deletions and duplicate voter ID numbers.

The Election Commission on Saturday said over 4,000 of its electoral registration officers are holding all-party meetings to resolve pending polling booth level issues in their respective assembly seats.

The meetings are in line with the poll body's recent decision to hold interactions with parties at multiple levels in the state to resolve complaints. The EC has also decided to explore the possibility of linking voter cards with Aadhaar and involve birth and death registration authorities to clean up voter rolls.