Sibal accuses CEC Rajiv Kumar of being ‘biased’

NEW DELHI: Former Union minister Kapil Sibal has accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar of being ‘biased’ towards the ruling camp in the recently-held Lok Sabha elections, and urged the Opposition to take some ‘action.’

“It is better to speak less of the Election Commission of India, especially the CEC. His attitude has been biased. I think that the Opposition needs to act on it,” Sibal said in a conversation with ANI news agency on Sunday. On being asked if he was questioning the CEC’s impartiality, the Rajya Sabha MP mentioned how the Election Commission ‘does not even respond to the Opposition.’ “Everyone knows the reason. If notices are not served even to those individuals making statements that are against the penal code, and could lead to prosecution under several sections…the way there are differences between the votes polled and vote counted…all these are serious issues,” the ex-Congress leader stated.

“If elections are not conducted impartially through the specified structure, then our democracy is in danger,” he added. Sibal further asserted that the opposition parties must discuss if ‘free and fair polls’ were possible under ‘partial’ constitutional institutions.