[Marxistindia] Letter to ECI

[news from the cpi(m)]

July 2, 2020
Press Release

We are herewith releasing the full text of the letter addressed the  
Election Commission of India by CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member, Nilotpal  
Basu.

For CPI(M) Central Committee Office
****
July 2, 2020

Shri Chandra Bhushan Kumar
Dy. Election Commissioner
Election Commission of India

Dear Sir,

We have received your reply to the letter sent by Sitaram Yechury,  
General Secretary, CPI(M) to the Chief Election Commissioner, Shri  
Sunil Arora.

1.	You have stated that our letter was first made widely available to  
the media before being received by the Commission. I would like to put  
the facts straight. It was only after the letter was delivered at the  
Commission, duly stamped on a copy indicating receipt, was our letter  
made available to the media. A correction, I think, is in order.

2.	The CPI(M) General Secretary’s letter does not say that the  
Commission invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to the extension of  
postal ballot facility. On the contrary what the letter says is:

“In the past, the ECI, despite the wide ranging and comprehensive  
powers under Article 324 for ‘control and superintendence’ of  
elections mandated by the Constitution, has always insisted that they  
will not exercise this power unilaterally. This had created an  
extremely healthy precedent of recognising the political parties,  
representing the people, as principal stake holders. They have been  
invariably involved in forging a consensus while ushering in changes  
in the procedures for the conduct of elections. It will be pertinent  
to recall that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), a major electoral  
reform, was arrived at through the consensus of the entire spectrum of  
political parties. Even though this is not backed by statutory  
empowerment, it has never been questioned. This practice has  
reinforced transparency in the system earning widespread appreciation”.

The letter in fact lauded the precedent established by the Commission  
over the last seven decades, which, however, has not been followed in  
this instance.

3.	The CPI(M) is aware of a meeting called by the Chief Electoral  
Officer of Bihar where this was one among the many issues that was  
raised. This issue was raised not for eliciting any opinion but as  
information of a decision of the Commission. In any case, a meeting of  
the Chief Electoral Officer of a state with state level political  
parties is no substitute for dispensing with national level  
consultations on a procedure applicable to the entire country. Hence,  
the reference to the Bihar meeting is not tantamount to any  
consultation with political parties at the national level in view of  
the fact that the commission decision for the facility of postal  
ballot is applicable all over the country.

4.	Your letter states that since March 24, 2020 midnight, guidelines  
have been issued for the extension of postal ballot facility. This is  
precisely the point that the CPI(M) General Secretary is making. A  
consultation with the political parties at the national level,  
perfectly feasible through the use of digital technologies, should  
have preceded, as has been the normal practice during the past seven  
decades.

The CPI(M) only urges the Commission to adhere to its own enlightened  
practice that it had evolved over the seven decades of independent  
India and uphold the healthy precedent of forging consensus among  
political parties before ushering any change in the procedures for the  
conduct of elections.


Yours truly




(Nilotpal Basu)
Member, Polit Bureau