5 months ago
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The Bharatiya Janata Party has 75 times much funds than the Congress successful its authoritative predetermination account, Congress treasurer and Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Maken said, opening the statement connected electoral reforms successful the Rajya Sabha connected Thursday (December 11, 2025).
Such an imbalance successful resources betwixt the 2 starring parties of the state destroys the level playing field, which is 1 of “three cornerstones for a steadfast democracy”, the different 2 being “transparency” and “credibility” of polling and related processes, Mr. Maken said.
In the 20 years since 2004, the BJP’s slope equilibrium had accrued from ₹87.96 crore to ₹10,107.2 crore and that of the Congress from ₹38.48 crore to ₹133.97 crore, Mr. Maken said. He pointed retired that successful 2004, the BJP’s slope equilibrium was ₹87.96 crore compared to the Congress’s ₹38 crore. In 2009, the Congress had ₹221 crore and the BJP ₹150 crore. By 2019, the spread had widened, with the BJP holding ₹3,562 crore — 11 times higher than the Congress’s ₹315 crore. “In 2024, the BJP had ₹10,107.2 crore portion the Congress had ₹133.97 crore. The BJP had 75 times much wealth than the Congress,” helium said.
Mr. Maken accused the authorities of unleashing the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax section connected Congress to deprive it of funds conscionable up of elections, portion besides utilizing the agencies to forestall businessmen and large industrialists from donating to the party.
“I person spoken to businessmen, large industrialists. They said during the clip of the Congress government, they utilized to lend [to governmental parties] successful a 60:40 ratio. At present, fto unsocial 90:10, adjacent astatine a 95:5 ratio, we [businesses] can’t springiness it to you due to the fact that the infinitesimal we bash it, the ED and IT volition travel aft us, and we are not allowed to bash anything,” Mr. Maken claimed.
Mr. Maken accused the Election Commission of being biased, citing the illustration of the Bihar authorities rolling retired the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana (₹10,000 women’s self-employment scheme) erstwhile the Model Code of Conduct was successful place. A antithetic attraction is meted retired to Opposition-ruled States, helium said. Mr. Maken asked, “If the umpire wears the jersey of a team, what volition the different squad do? If the umpire itself fixes the match, what volition the players do?”
Mr. Maken accused the ECI of not providing machine-readable electoral rolls, hiding IP addresses and destroying grounds wrong 45 days. The ECI’s occupation is to triumph “trust”, but contiguous its occupation is to make “suspicion”, helium said, citing examples of however elector turnout figures “increased” successful the Haryana Assembly predetermination connected the time results were announced, from the figures enactment retired 2 days earlier. He said the ECI remained soundless erstwhile asked astir the other votes and Assembly- and booth-wise data.
Responding to the allegations, BJP subordinate Sudhanshu Trivedi accused the Congress of creating a ruckus, alternatively of availing the avenues disposable to them to question redressal of their grievances. Taking the illustration of a cricket match, helium said erstwhile a squad feels a batsman was out, but the umpire had not declared so, they tin question a review. However, alternatively of going to the umpire for a review, the Congress has been holding property conferences, successful anticipation that the 3rd umpire would springiness the determination connected his own.
Hitting backmost astatine the allegation of deficiency of transparency, Mr. Trivedi said successful the predetermination for Congress president, successful which Mallikarjun Kharge was elected, 22 Congress leaders sought elector lists, but their requests went unheeded arsenic per media reports.
Those who bash not stock elector lists successful their ain enactment are lecturing others connected transparency, helium noted.
