Institute independent EC to save democracy: Harsimrat

Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday called for the institution of an independent Election Commission. She said the body should be formed in consultation with the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and the Leader of the Opposition. She also called for making the election manifestos into legal documents.

Harsimrat said outside observers must be posted during polls to state bodies to protect democracy.

Speaking in the Parliament on issue of electoral reforms, the Bathinda MP highlighted how elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions in Punjab had been completely “vitiated”.

She also referred to a recent viral conference call of Patiala police officials allegedly hatching conspiracy to prevent Opposition candidates from reaching the offices of Returning Officers to file their nominations for elections to the Block Samitis and Zila Parishads.

Harsimrat said allowing digital filing of nominations could prevent nomination papers from being rejected on “flimsy grounds”.

Highlighting what she said was the extent to which the Aam Aadmi Party had gone to get its candidates elected unopposed, Harsimrat said that in Majithia alone, 21 of the 23 seats had seen “forced unopposed victories” for the AAP. She said that in Raja Sansi, 25 out of 35 unopposed elections had been procured for the AAP. The MP added that AAP had won 32 out of 32 unopposed elections in Tarn Taran and 20 out of 22 in Gurdaspur.

She alleged that no opposition candidate was allowed to file nominations in Bhoa.

On former Congress legislator Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s allegations that the grand old party’s leaders had to offer Rs 500 crores for Chief Minister’s post in Punjab, Harsimrat said it had “exposed the widespread corruption” in the party. She called for a thorough probe into the matter.