Chandigarh, October 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Industries and Commerce Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab president Aman Arora on Friday accused the BJP-led Union Government of undermining the autonomy of the Election Commission of India (ECI), describing the situation as a serious institutional crisis and warning that the country was being pushed towards what he called an “elected dictatorship.”
Speaking during a discussion in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on a resolution seeking constitutional safeguards for the voting rights of eligible citizens, Arora said the right to vote was not a privilege but a fundamental pillar of democratic citizenship. He paid tribute to Punjab’s freedom fighters and revolutionaries and invoked Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision of equality at the ballot box.
Arora argued that concerns surrounding the ECI were structural rather than related to any single Election Commissioner. He referred to objections reportedly raised by two Election Commissioners over not being heard and their dissent being ignored. He also cited continuing questions over electronic voting machines (EVMs) and the Commission’s functioning, saying public protests reflected growing distrust in the electoral process.
“The issue is not limited to one Gyanesh Kumar. Tomorrow, whoever comes will have to function within the same system, because the strings are being pulled by those in power,” Arora said, arguing that democratic institutions depended not only on the exercise of authority but also on public confidence in their impartiality.
Referring to former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan, Arora recalled his actions during the 1995 Bihar elections, when polls were reportedly suspended multiple times amid large-scale booth capturing concerns. He said Seshan had insisted on the deployment of paramilitary forces before allowing elections to proceed, despite pressure from the government at the time.
Arora also cited former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, who had raised objections to speeches by the Prime Minister during the 2018-19 election period before leaving to join the Asian Development Bank as vice-president. He described the departure of experienced officials from public institutions as a loss to the country.
The minister further referred to changes in the ECI’s composition, including its transition from a single-member to a three-member body. He stressed that the Commission must not only function independently but must also be perceived by the public as independent.
Criticising the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners, Arora said the selection committee had been altered by replacing the Chief Justice of India with a Union Cabinet minister. The committee previously comprised the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India. Arora argued that the revised arrangement left the Leader of the Opposition outnumbered by government representatives.
He also objected to a provision allowing the selection committee to consider candidates beyond those shortlisted by the search committee, including “any other person.” According to Arora, these provisions concentrated effective control over appointments in the hands of the ruling government and weakened the independence of the selection process.
Describing the arrangement as a case of “institutional capture,” Arora argued that the committees risked becoming merely formal bodies while the government retained decisive influence over appointments.
Invoking Punjab’s contribution to India’s freedom struggle, he said the state had a responsibility to defend constitutional values and protect the integrity of the electoral process. He expressed strong support for the resolution moved by the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government.
“This is not a fight for one person or one party. It is a fight to preserve the soul of the world’s largest democracy,” Arora said, warning that public confidence in the fairness of elections was essential to the long-term health of India’s democratic institutions.
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