Patna: RJD national working president Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Sunday criticised Election Commission (EC), alleging arbitrary functioning by its chief election commissioner and accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah of using the poll panel to help BJP win elections. BJP termed the allegations as “baseless” and accused Tejashwi of targeting constitutional institutions.In a post on social media, Tejashwi alleged that the functioning of ECI had also affected BJP’s internal organisation.“For the past six years, I have been saying that the EC has become dangerous for the country and democracy,” Tejashwi said. He also claimed that PM Modi had “no popularity whatsoever” on the ground and alleged that BJP’s electoral victories in states were achieved with the “unwavering support and immense assistance” of EC rather than public support.Tejashwi further alleged that Modi and Shah had chosen “selected puppets”, rather than BJP functionaries with a public base, as chief ministers in states including Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Bihar and West Bengal.He accused BJP leadership of disregarding electoral rules and fair play, alleging that it was “fixing the match referee and umpire to win the electoral match dishonestly”.Tejashwi’s remarks came amid opposition criticism of the poll panel’s functioning, including over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. ECI has rejected allegations that its processes undermine electoral integrity and maintains that it functions independently as a constitutional authority responsible for conducting elections.Reacting to Tejashwi’s remarks, state BJP spokesperson and former MLA Prem Ranjan Patel said the RJD functionary was making “baseless allegations” out of a desire to return to power.“Tejashwi has been imitating Rahul Gandhi. First, he marginalised his own brothers and sisters in the RJD and alienated experienced party functionary. Secondly, he has repeatedly failed in assembly and parliamentary elections as his party’s functionary. Finally, even as the leader of the opposition, he is not sincere towards the assembly,” Patel said.He also accused Tejashwi of having “no faith in constitutional institutions” and alleged that he did not respect central govt agencies. “When the Supreme Court has praised the SIR, he is raising questions over it,” Patel said.
