Integrity of electoral process severely compromised, Congress to launch movement soon: CWC

Congress leaders during CWC meet. Pic/PTI

The integrity of the entire electoral process is being "severely compromised" and sections of society are becoming deeply apprehensive of it, the Congress alleged on Friday and asserted it will take up these public concerns as a national movement.

A resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the top decision-making body of the party, said free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate which was being called into "serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission".

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The CWC, which met amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, said the session has been a washout so far because of the Narendra Modi government's "stubborn refusal" to have an immediate discussion on three pressing national issues -- "the recent revelations regarding corruption by a business group, and the violence in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal".

Asked why the resolution does not name the business group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The answer is the Adani group".

"The CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission.

"Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement," the resolution stated.

Ramesh said that going forward there will be a movement and rallies on the concerns over the electoral process and INDIA boc parties will join the movement.

Addressing a joint press conference along with Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, party general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the party discussed the political situation in the country for four-and-half hours and adopted the resolution.

He said the CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into electoral performance and organisational matters.

About the Assembly polls results in Maharashtra, Venugopal said the electoral outcome in the state was "beyond normal understanding and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation".

The resolution alleged the prime minister has "abdicated" all responsibility and has not even once visited the violence-hit Manipur since May 2023. It also claimed there were "systematic attempts of the BJP to foment communal tensions in different states, most recently in Uttar Pradesh".

Tension has been brewing in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal since November 19 when the court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid was carried out following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site. Violence erupted on November 24, killing four people and injuring several others.

The CWC reiterated its firmest commitment to the letter and spirit of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which it said is being "violated brazenly by the BJP".

The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act prohibits change of character of religious places as they existed as on August 15, 1947.

However, the Supreme Court had noted that it had earlier dealt with the Act in its 2019 Ayodhya verdict and one of the law's provisions, Section 3, did not expressly bar ascertaining the religious character of the place of worship.

At the meeting, the top decision-making body of the Congress discussed the challenges faced by the party following the results of the four Assembly polls.

The CWC resolution also said the overwhelming victory of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll has generated a massive wave of enthusiasm amongst the party workers as well among the public.

"The CWC thanks the people of Jharkhand for the decisive mandate they have given the JMM, Congress and other INDIA (bloc) parties. They have resoundingly rejected the dangerously divisive and poisonously polarising campaign of the BJP spearheaded by the prime minister, Union home minister, the CM of Assam and the former CM of Madhya Pradesh," it said.

The party, in the resolution, thanked the people of Jammu and Kashmir "for the confidence they have placed in the National Conference-Congress alliance in such a clear manner".

"While accepting that our own performance should have been better, our party will continue to press for the restoration of full-fledged statehood to Jammu and Kashmir," it said.

"The CWC also acknowledges that the party's performance in Haryana has been contrary to all expectations. Very simply, the INC should have formed the government in the state by a convincing margin but it didn't. But there have been electoral malpractices that have influenced the result in the state which have been overlooked," the resolution stated.

The CWC "accepted" the Congress' performance and that of its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra Assembly polls have been "inexplicable" and "shocking".

"The electoral outcome is beyond normal understanding. It appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation," it said.

In the election for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, the Congress registered one of its worst performances, winning only 16 seats. Its MVA allies Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP) and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena(UBT) won just 10 and 20 seats, respectively.

The CWC expressed hope and confidence that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will complete the detailed state-wise reviews soon and take the necessary follow-up action, particularly about organisational matters.

It also called upon the party organisations at all levels to summon the maximum strength and resilience at this juncture.

"There is no reason to get disheartened or to panic. We must persevere with renewed determination and resolve. Unity and discipline are called for now more than ever before. The issues the party placed before the people during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and the Lok Sabha election campaign are issues of daily concern to the people of our country.

"The party must keep reinforcing its narrative. This includes caste census to ensure full social justice, removal of the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs, control of growing monopolies in the economy through political patronage and continuing price rise and growing unemployment," the CWC added.

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