Bengaluru: Various organizations concerned with democratic rights, such as the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), People’s Union for Civil Liberties, National Alliance for People's Movement, Bahutva Karnataka, All India Lawyers Association for Justice, Shramik Mukti Dal, Young Leaders of Active Citizenship, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Prashant Hate Speech Beda, New Trade Union Initiative, Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy, Citizens for the Constitution, The Bombay Catholic Sabha, Centre for Promoting Democracy, PaniHaq Samiti, Naaveddu Nilladiddare, Fridays for Future, Delhi Solidarity Group, and Eddelu Karnataka, have collectively launched a campaign to hold the Election Commission of India (ECI) accountable for its inaction regarding violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and election laws during the Lok Sabha elections.

On Saturday, a joint complaint was submitted through the offices of the Chief Electoral Officers in various cities, including Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and others. Additionally, a letter was submitted to the office of the Chief Election Commissioner in Delhi. This coalition of organizations and concerned citizens also conducted a postcard campaign, sending hundreds of postcards featuring an image of a spine to the ECI in Delhi, demanding that the Election Commission either "Grow A Spine or Resign."

The issues highlighted in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections by the coalition include:

Voter turnout data being shared only in percentages, raising concerns about the manipulation of vote counts. In the 2019 elections, reports indicated discrepancies between votes polled and votes counted in 373 constituencies. For instance, there was a surplus of more than 18,000 votes in Kancheepuram and 14,512 in Sriperumbudur. The ECI has not adequately addressed these discrepancies. Furthermore, in the current elections, the ECI has refused to share data about votes polled, only providing the percentage of votes polled, leading to fears of manipulated vote counts.

Failure to address hate speech during elections, particularly by Prime Minister Modi, who has made speeches promoting hatred between communities on religious lines. This violates the Model Code of Conduct, the Representation of People’s Act, and the ECI's advisory to political parties. Despite this, no action has been taken against Mr. Modi or the BJP for hate speeches or the use of religious symbols.

Discrepancies in the ECI's actions against MCC violations, with harsher penalties imposed on opposition parties compared to the ruling party.

Lack of action against surrogate advertisements and inadequate scrutiny of political expenditure on online ads and targeted campaigns.

Failure to address threats to candidates and the subversion of democracy through candidate withdrawals and last-minute party switches, particularly by the BJP.

The coalition of organizations conducted a national-level campaign on May 11th across several cities. The letter was signed by 222 individuals from various fields, including lawyers, activists, filmmakers, academics, and concerned citizens.