Opposition Stays Silent on Electoral Irregularities
Why Is No One Talking About the Election Mess?
Dehradun: Social activist Anoop Nautiyal has single-handedly raised alarm over massive irregularities in the recently held Uttarakhand municipal elections, even as political parties, including Congress and others, remain conspicuously silent despite their electoral losses.
In a scathing four-page letter to the President of India, backed by 15 media reports, Nautiyal has called for a Presidential inquiry into the widespread election mismanagement that, according to him, threatens the very fabric of democracy in the state.
The big question is: Why are opposition parties, who should be the first to protest, not speaking up?
"A Lone Warrior" Against a Broken System?
At a time when political parties routinely cry foul after losing elections, the deafening silence from Congress and other opposition parties in Uttarakhand over missing voter names, discrepancies, and electoral mismanagement is baffling.
Even though they suffered defeats across multiple municipalities, there has been no major protest, demand for re-elections, or legal challenge from their side.
Is it political lethargy, lack of ground-level connect, or something else? While opposition parties sulk in defeat, it is Nautiyal and his Dehradun-based NGO who are carrying the fight alone, exposing the shocking flaws in Uttarakhand’s electoral machinery.
Massive Voter List Chaos—Who Is Responsible?
Nautiyal’s complaint highlights 10 major irregularities in the elections, including:
- Long-time residents found their names missing from the voter rolls.
- Voters' names were changed, misspelled, or moved to different polling stations without prior notice.
- Minors were registered as voters, raising concerns of potential voter fraud.
- Votes were allegedly cast before actual voters arrived at polling stations.
- Polling was delayed due to slow voting processes, causing widespread confusion.
These irregularities, Nautiyal insists, cannot be dismissed as minor errors but point towards a systematic failure.
What Did the Uttarakhand Election Commission Say?
Instead of accepting responsibility, the Uttarakhand Election Commission has downplayed the issue, stating that voter list discrepancies were due to outdated records and technical errors in data synchronization.
Their response? "We are looking into complaints, but such issues happen in every election."
This casual dismissal of a deeply flawed electoral process has only strengthened Nautiyal’s demand for a full-fledged Presidential inquiry.
Warning for Future Panchayat Elections
With three-tier Panchayat elections approaching, Nautiyal has warned that if these problems are not fixed, free and fair elections in Uttarakhand will become a joke.
He emphasized that while the Central Election Commission stresses transparency, the Uttarakhand Election Commission is failing miserably to uphold these principles.
Demand for an Independent Probe
Nautiyal has called for a one-month, time-bound inquiry into the alleged errors, duplications, and potential fraud in the municipal elections.
Importantly, he has demanded that the investigation include not just government officials but independent scholars, legal experts, journalists, NGOs, and civil society representatives.
Will the President Intervene?
With opposition parties shockingly mute and the Election Commission in denial, all eyes are now on whether the President will take action and order a probe into Uttarakhand’s chaotic and questionable municipal elections.
For now, it remains a one-man battle, with Anoop Nautiyal fighting for electoral transparency while political parties, who should be at the forefront, remain missing—just like the voter names in the election.
