CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Amid growing national concern over alleged electoral malpractices, the Meghalaya Congress has called for empowering traditional local institutions - the Durbar Shnongs - to play a greater role in voter verification, asserting that such empowerment is vital to prevent infiltration and strengthen the integrity of the state's electoral process.
Aligning with its nationwide campaign to defend democratic institutions, the Congress has intensified its state-wide signature drive under the All India Congress initiative to collect five crore signatures across the country. The movement, which has already garnered over 10,000 signatures in Meghalaya, aims to mobilise public support against what the party terms systematic "vote chori" by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), allegedly in collusion with the Election Commission.
Meghalaya Congress Secretary Manuel Badwar said, "We stay vigilant in each and every constituency. If you want to support, please join us in the signature campaign at every block and every district - our workers are there." He noted that while Durbar Shnongs are integral to Meghalaya's traditional governance structure, their authority in voter registration remains unrecognized under the current framework.
"Till now, for the registration of new voters, the Durbar Shnong or the power of the Durbar is still not recognized because under the existing rules and regulations it still refers to the Panchayati Raj. Since we don't have a Panchayati Raj system, we told the Election Department that more power must be given to the Durbar. This has been followed by Congress and other political parties. We have given our suggestions and hope the Election Commission of Meghalaya takes them forward. At least this will prevent infiltration, and those who are not eligible to vote should not be able to do so," he said.
Badwar said the Congress's signature campaign is an effort to safeguard India's democratic fabric and bring citizens into a constructive national dialogue on electoral fairness. He alleged that the BJP has engaged in widespread vote-rigging across several states, including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra, claiming that "the BJP and the Election Commission are involved in vote chori to favour the ruling party."
Further, the Congress seeks to transform this campaign into a political movement - one that not only challenges the legitimacy of the ruling dispensation but also underscores the need for institutional reform and grassroots empowerment through the recognition of traditional local bodies like the Durbar Shnongs.
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