Electoral reforms possible only when EC is impartial: Akhilesh in LS

New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday asserted in the Lok Sabha that election reforms can take place only if the Election Commission is impartial and suggested that an enhanced panel select the chief election commissioner and fellow election commissioners.

Participating in a debate on 'Election Reforms', he made a slew of allegations to claim that the poll authority was not functioning with neutrality.

Yadav, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, supported the suggestion of Congress MP Manish Tewari that the composition of the committee, which elects the CEC and fellow ECs, should be tweaked to make it more participative and transparent.

At present, the committee comprises the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet minister named by the Prime Minister.

Tewari had earlier in the day suggested including Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the Chief Justice of India in the selection committee.

Yadav also suggested going back to ballot paper elections, saying even advanced countries, including Germany, do not use EVM.

The SP chief alleged that during the Rampur and Milkipur bypolls, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh used all its might, including police, to prevent genuine electors from casting their vote.

When he and his party leaders approached the EC, the poll authority took no action, he claimed.

He also alleged that thousands of voters were removed from the electoral rolls by the poll panel. PTI NAB NAB RT RT RT