AJP Reacts to Report of Internal Differences Within Election Commission,“The 2026 Assam Assembly election result was not the people’s verdict, it was the EVM’s verdict”
Dalim Phukan
Hills Live News, Guwahati, Sept 23: The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has expressed concern over an investigative report published by The Indian Express, which claimed that two Election Commissioners of India had raised written objections to several decisions and measures relating to electoral rolls in recent months.
AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan said, “After seeing this report, we are convinced that the result of the recently concluded Assam Assembly election was not the verdict of the people, it was the verdict of the EVM.”
The AJP leaders said the Indian Express report stated that the two Election Commissioners had raised written objections on at least 14 occasions over various decisions taken during the past around 10 months. According to the report, their objections concerned several important issues, including the inclusion of new names in electoral rolls, deletion and subsequent restoration of names, and control of voter databases and information technology systems.
The AJP leaders said that if such disagreements and objections exist within the Election Commission itself over processes as fundamental as the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, it naturally raises questions about the transparency and credibility of the entire electoral process.
They further stressed that complete transparency, accountability and public confidence must be ensured in decisions relating to electoral rolls and the electoral process.
According to the AJP leaders, the information revealed in the national newspaper’s report is not merely an issue concerning the internal functioning of the Election Commission, but one that has significant implications for the credibility of the country’s democratic system. They therefore demanded that the Election Commission publicly clarify every allegation and objection raised in the report.
It may be mentioned that in its investigative report published on September 23, The Indian Express reported that two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had raised several written objections to various measures taken by the Commission. The report has since triggered reactions and widespread discussion across the country.
Calling for comprehensive reforms in the Election Commission in the wake of the reported internal disagreements, the AJP leaders also said that, as part of such reforms, there is now a need to discontinue the EVM-based voting system and restore voting through paper ballots.