Election Fairness Under Scrutiny: Vadodara Polls See Allegations of Election Commissions Acting as Ruling Party’s ‘B-Team’, Fueling Calls for Reform

In a detailed and impassioned representation, Dr. Rahul Vasudevbhai Vyas, an independent candidate from Akota (143) Vidhan Sabha constituency, has called for sweeping reforms to Gujarat’s election process, citing systemic biases that favor ruling parties and undermine the democratic playing field for independent and lesser-known candidates. His concerns span from procedural fairness to transparency in vote-counting and voter accessibility.

Call for Structural Election Reforms: Dr. Vyas has proposed a series of structural changes aimed at ensuring a level playing field for all candidates:

• Advance Election Notification: Poll dates should be announced at least three months prior, giving equal preparation time to ruling and opposition candidates.
• Rigorous Affidavit Verification: Candidate affidavits, particularly income declarations exceeding ₹10 lakh without corresponding PAN cards or tax filings, should undergo scrutiny by agencies such as the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate.
• Protection of Independent Candidates: The Election Commission (EC) should support independent candidates with procedural guidance and prevent rejection of nominations over rectifiable errors.
• Ban on Pre-Poll Inaugurations: Ruling parties should be barred from inaugurating new projects within six months of elections to avoid undue influence.
• Media Neutrality: Government media should provide equal coverage to all candidates, and the EC should host multiple public debates at the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha levels.
• Private Sector Involvement: In addition to government staff, private sector professionals should be engaged to ensure independence from political pressure.
• Operational Reforms: Ban on key officer transfers within six months of polls, staggered deadlines for financial disclosures favoring independents, counting party expenditure toward individual candidate limits, and digitization to reduce paper waste.

Election Day Irregularities in Vadodara: Dr. Vyas has also documented irregularities observed during the second phase of voting in Vadodara:

• Distribution of Partisan Voting Slips: Allegedly, the ruling party distributed voting slips with promotional material on polling day, raising concerns of voter influence.
• Proximity Campaigning: Reports of ruling party candidates posing for photographs with party workers less than three meters from polling booths, in violation of election norms.
• Voter Wait Times: Delays of 15–20 minutes were reported, prompting a suggestion for scheduled voting slots, with flexibility for late voters after 3:30 p.m.
• Accessibility Gaps: A shortage of wheelchairs at polling booths was reported, with recommendations for at least two to three units at large centers.

Discrepancies in Voting Percentages for Akota (143) : The most contentious issue raised by Dr. Vyas concerns a sudden 10% increase in Akota’s reported voter turnout, from 49% to 59.26%, hours after polls closed.

• ECI Website Data Change: While the Returning Officer attributed this to correction of a tentative figure, Dr. Vyas questions why the correction took until late night and why Akota’s discrepancy was significantly higher than other constituencies in Vadodara, most of which saw changes of only 1–2%.
• Plausibility of Late Surge: Based on booth data, he estimates that over 27,000 voters would have had to vote after 4:00 p.m. to justify the increase—an implausible figure given voting patterns.
• Demand for CCTV Evidence: Dr. Vyas has requested public release of booth CCTV footage to verify post-4:00 p.m. voting activity.

Recommendations for Transparent Vote Tracking: A key suggestion from Dr. Vyas is to print the time and date on every Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slip, allowing cross-verification of turnout claims and preventing data manipulation.

Historical Voting Data: A Contextual Analysis: Data from the attached electoral record for Akota (143) shows a dominant performance by the BJP in 2022, with 113,312 votes (68.76%) compared to 35,559 votes (21.58%) for INC and 10,018 votes (6.08%) for AAP. The historical comparison with 2017 also shows consistent BJP dominance, raising questions about electoral competitiveness in the constituency.

A Wider Debate on Democracy’s Fairness: While the Election Commission of India has yet to respond to these allegations, Dr. Vyas’ demands underscore a larger conversation on the fairness and transparency of elections in India. His call for equal media space, prevention of ruling party misuse of state machinery, and technological safeguards could reshape electoral norms—if adopted. In response to these concerns, Dr. Vyas has formally requested that the Collector of Vadodara investigate the matter, a request he claims was dismissed without scientific evidence. As a measure to enhance transparency in future elections, he has recommended that the date and time of voting be printed on the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips. 

“These reforms are not for my personal benefit,” Dr. Vyas emphasizes. “They are for strengthening democracy and ensuring every candidate, regardless of political affiliation, gets a fair chance.”

The allegations and reform proposals put forth by Dr. Vyas have cast a spotlight on the electoral process in Vadodara. As the ECI reviews these complaints, the citizens of Gujarat and the nation will be watching closely to see how these serious concerns are addressed to uphold the sanctity of the democratic process.