ECI gives 'agnipariksha' every time after each election: Rajiv Kumar

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducts ‘agnipariksha’ after every election, despite having already conducted 400 state assembly elections, 17 parliamentary elections, and 16 presidential and vice-presidential elections. The CEC was responding to a query about whether or not people in Karnataka had faith in the Commission to conduct “free and fair elections.”

“India’s social, cultural, political, geographical, economic, and linguistic issues have been stabilised peacefully and through dialogue over the past seventy years, largely due to the country’s established democracy, which is only feasible because people trust election results. Still, ECI provides agnipariksha after every election “Kumar stated at a press conference in Bengaluru that this is in striking contrast to recent events in a number of developed countries.

Kumar was in Bengaluru to evaluate the readiness for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election. During his visit, he announced that senior citizens and individuals with disabilities will be permitted to vote from home in the upcoming election. The CEC stated that electors will have access to a 12D form to facilitate the vote-from-home option.

“For the first time in Karnataka, all voters aged 80 and older and those with disabilities will have the option to vote from their residences if they so choose. There is a form 12D that will be available within five days of the notification for any 80-plus or disabled voter who desires to vote from home “he said.