Bhopal, Oct 8 (IANS): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday criticised the Congress for blaming the Election Commission for its electoral setbacks, saying the party should instead introspect on its organisation and leadership.
Yadav’s remarks came as the Madhya Pradesh Congress prepared to hold a foot march in Bhopal in support of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, amid an intensifying Opposition campaign against the Election Commission in New Delhi.
The Chief Minister said the Congress had itself benefited from the electoral process that it was now questioning, pointing to its governments in Kerala and Himachal Pradesh.
“If there is distrust in the Election Commission’s process, then what is the meaning of Congress’ victory in Kerala?” Mohan Yadav said. He is on a visit to Mumbai.
Talking to the media, Yadav said Congress should examine why its political base had weakened in several states instead of holding the poll panel responsible for repeated electoral defeats.
Yadav referred to Congress’s prolonged absence from power in West Bengal and its weak position in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, saying these issues required introspection within the party.
“Congress should introspect and strengthen its organisation instead of blaming the Election Commission for every defeat,” he said.
He said India was the world’s largest democracy and elections were conducted through a constitutional framework under the Election Commission. According to Yadav, electoral defeats should not be used as a reason to question constitutional institutions.
The Chief Minister also said Rahul Gandhi should introspect on the Congress’s electoral performance and leadership.
The remarks came amid protests by Congress and other Opposition parties against the Election Commission over electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
On October 6, Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several INDIA bloc leaders were detained by police during a march towards the Election Commission office in New Delhi. The Opposition leaders were protesting over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and demanding accountability from the poll panel.
On October 7, Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition MPs were again detained during a protest in Delhi after they attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar.
The Opposition has accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process and has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
In Bhopal, state Congress president Jitu Patwari and Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar are scheduled to lead a foot march at 5 p.m. on Thursday in solidarity with Gandhi.
The state Congress had earlier staged a protest outside the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Bhopal following Gandhi’s detention in Delhi on October 6.
