EC’s Statement Refutes Kejriwal’s Allegations, Termed as ‘Pressure Tactics’

Allegations, counter-allegations, and complaints have marked the Delhi election a high-voltage event. Yesterday (3rd February) AAP supremo and former-Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal criticized the Election Commission (EC) and CEC (Chief Election Commissioner) in an unprecedented way where he urged CEC Rajiv Kumar to prefer securing democracy over post-retirement benefits.

The EC has come out with a strong reply today saying that it is a three-member body that has collectively noted "repeated deliberate pressure tactics" to malign the poll authority in Delhi polls.

The EC also said that an impression was tried to be created that it is a single-member body. "The 3-member Commission collectively noted repeated deliberate pressure tactics to malign ECI in the Delhi Elections, as if it is a single-member body & decided to have constitutional restraint, absorbing such outbursts with sagacity, stoically & not to be swayed by such insinuations," the Election Commission wrote on X. However it did not name AAP or Kejriwal.

"Action on issues raised by political parties & candidates are taken in each instance by over 1.5 lakh officials in #DelhiAssemblyElection2025 who are functioning within an established legal framework, robust processes & SoPs ensuring fair play and non-partisan conduct," it added.

Arvind Kejriwal claimed yesterday that the Election Commission had surrendered before the BJP. The former Delhi CM asked the top election officer to act to strengthen democracy over the desire for post-retirement benefits.

“Today the way the Election Commission has surrendered before the Bharatiya Janata Party, it seems as if the Election Commission does not exist. This is raising a very big question. It is justified for people to have questions in their minds that Rajiv Kumar Ji, who is the Chief Election Commissioner, is retiring at the end of this month. What kind of post has been offered to him post-retirement? The post of governor, the post of president, what kind of post can it be?" Arvind Kejriwal said at a press conference yesterday.

"I request Rajiv Kumar Ji with folded hands. Do your duty, give up the desire for the post, give up the greed for the post. Now at the end of your career, do not destroy the country, the country's democracy," he added.

CEC Rajiv Kumar will demit office on February 18 as he will attend the age of 65 years. Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh are the other election commissioners.