Patna (Bihar) [India], September 24 (ANI): Launching an attack on the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) under Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) supremo Mukesh Sahani on Thursday remarked that if he were "pardoned for one murder," the first person he would shoot is Gyanesh Kumar.
Speaking to reporters, Sahani reacted to an Indian Express report which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders issued in connection with electoral-roll procedures. The reported concerns included changes to Form 6, voter deletions and the handling of electoral-roll data.
"The Election Commission has turned into an arm of the BJP. And I want to say to Gyanesh Kumar: times do not stay the same forever. Have some shame—you are playing with the nation's Constitution! If I were pardoned for one murder, the first person I would shoot is Gyanesh! But what can we do? We are law-abiding citizens who respect the Constitution," Sahani said.
Escalating his rhetoric, Sahani warned that officials and the ruling leadership would face imprisonment if the opposition assumes power in 2029.
"In the times ahead, they will not go scot-free. In 2029, a government will be formed in the country under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi ji, and Gyanesh Kumar will be the very first person sent to prison. Everyone who colluded with him will also go to jail; no one will be spared. If he passes away before that, that is another matter. But if they remain alive, they will be put behind bars—there are no ifs or buts about it. Nobody will be able to protect him, not even Modi ji. In fact, Modi ji might also end up in jail!" he claimed.
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of undermining democratic systems, Sahani alleged that elections were being manipulated through voter roll deletions and welfare transfers during active model code periods.
"The supreme authority of our country, the ultimate arbiter—the Prime Minister of India—is orchestrating all of this. Democracy is being trampled upon. The Constitution framed by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar is being crushed. Blindfolds are being tied around the eyes of 140 to 150 crore citizens," Sahani alleged.
"Elections are not held for politicians—that is a misconception. Elections belong to the people of this country. The public holds the sovereign power to kick a leader out of office if they fail to perform. But when the time comes for the public to boot them out, they compromise the Election Commission and manipulate the majority in their favor. You saw what happened in Bengal: by deploying forces and deleting 27 lakh votes, they formed the government. You saw what happened in Bihar: right in the middle of the election, with the Model Code of Conduct in effect, they transferred ₹10,000 into accounts to swing the outcome in their favor," he added.
Questioning the purpose of conducting democratic exercises under such circumstances, the VIP supremo said, "For those who are toying with this country: why bother holding elections at all? Just shut down elections completely! When lakhs of crores and billions of public rupees are being wasted, only for the mandate to be hijacked like this, why did you appoint three Election Commissioners in the first place? You should have just kept one!"
The Election Commission, meanwhile, said the reported queries and observations by its members were part of its normal internal functioning. The poll panel said written notes, technical suggestions and internal checks were standard practices aimed at ensuring legal compliance and safeguarding voter rights.
The ECI also maintained that all its official decisions, including those concerning SIR, had full legal sanction and that the final decisions of the Commission were unanimous.
The Indian Express report, however, said the two Election Commissioners had raised concerns on several aspects of electoral-roll management, including changes to Form 6 and the centralisation of access to the voter database.
The report has triggered sharp reactions from Opposition parties, with several leaders demanding greater scrutiny of the Election Commission's decision-making process and questioning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's functioning. The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the poll panel and described internal deliberations as part of democratic functioning. (ANI)
"If I were pardoned one murder, first person I would shoot is Gyanesh": VIP chief Mukesh Sahani lashes out at CEC
