Former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa gets frank with journalist Poonam Agarwal on the trust deficit around India’s Election Commission.

The neutrality of the EC is judged by the displeasure the government has with it. EC’s responses sound like they are coming from the government.

Ashok Lavasa, Former Election Commissioner

A key concern raised is the EC’s lack of transparency, specifically regarding the sharing of votes, poll data, and CCTV camera footage. Lavasa emphasised that the people are the "principal stakeholder" in elections.

Lavasa suggested that the recent distancing of the EC from stakeholders like the media and civil society has "breached" public trust. He cautioned that the EC should never adopt an adversarial position.

On vote chori allegations, Lavasa says, “

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