‘EAGLE’: Congress sets up panel to monitor conduct of fair polls by EC

The Congress on Sunday set up an eight-member committee—Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE) -- to monitor the conduct of free and fair elections by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

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The committee will first take up the Maharashtra voters’ list manipulation issue, and submit a detailed report to the leadership at the earliest, the party said in a statement.

The panel includes Congress treasurer Ajay Maken and senior leaders Digvijaya Singh, Abhishek Singhvi, Praveen Chakravarty and Pawan Khera.

Besides, Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Nitin Raut and Challa Vamshi Chand Reddy are also part of the panel.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has constituted EAGLE with immediate effect to monitor the conduct of free and fair elections by the EC of India, the statement said.

Besides Maharashtra, ‘EAGLE’ will also analyse past elections in other states, and proactively monitor upcoming elections and all other issues related to the conduct of free and fair elections in the country.

Significantly, the setting up of the panel comes just days before the Delhi Assembly polls.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had last month alleged that there is a “serious problem” with the country’s election system and that the EC needs to ensure there is transparency in polls.

Maintaining that “something wrong” has taken place in Maharashtra Assembly elections, he had said the Congress and the Opposition have been asking for voter lists of Maharashtra and Haryana elections, which the EC is refusing to provide.

He had demanded that the EC come clean on the issue.

Gandhi, while addressing Congress leaders at the inauguration of the new party headquarters on January 15, had alleged there has been an increase of nearly one crore voters between Maharashtra Lok Sabha and assembly elections but the Election Commission is neither answering the queries raised by the opposition nor giving the lists of voters.