New Delhi, August 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The BJP on Tuesday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s reference to India’s electoral system while advocating stricter voter identification requirements in the United States, calling the remarks a matter of pride for India. The Samajwadi Party, however, disputed the BJP’s interpretation of Trump’s comments and questioned the government’s handling of democratic concerns.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said Trump’s remarks demonstrated the credibility and transparency of the Election Commission of India (ECI). He described the comments as a strong response to those who have repeatedly questioned the functioning of the poll panel.
BJP spokesperson R.P. Singh said India’s electoral system enjoys international recognition and noted that Trump was seeking to introduce voter identification measures in the US similar to those used in India.
Bihar Minister Ramkripal Yadav also described the remarks as a recognition of Indian democracy and the electoral system. He said the fact that the US was discussing India’s election process was significant and reflected the country’s growing influence.
The Samajwadi Party took a different view. Party spokesperson Ashutosh Verma said the BJP had misrepresented Trump’s remarks, arguing that the US President’s comments followed a question reportedly raised by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding elections being conducted in the US without valid identification.
Verma also questioned the state of democracy in India and said democratic communication should not be one-sided. He referred to the use of ballot papers in the US and argued that the country’s democratic institutions remained active.
Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad criticised Trump more directly, calling his ideology dangerous for India. He alleged that Trump’s policies had adversely affected India’s economy and farmers and said New Delhi should maintain distance from a leader he described as unpredictable.
Trump had invoked India’s election system while renewing his call for passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act. The proposed legislation seeks stricter citizenship requirements for voter registration, nationwide voter identification requirements and tighter restrictions on voting by mail.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had recently questioned the US administration about conducting elections without valid photo identification. Trump cited the exchange while arguing that mandatory photo identification could help curb what he described as electoral fraud.
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