Delhi Election 2025: Election Commission rejects ‘pressure tactics,’ says it won’t be swayed by Kejriwal's remarks

Delhi Election 2025: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said that it has collectively noted ‘repeated deliberate pressure tactics’ to malign the poll authority in Delhi assembly elections and that it will not be swayed by ‘such insinuations.’

The poll panel's remarks through a post on X came a day after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal accused Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar of being greedy about post-retirement appointment. The poll panel didn't, however, name any political leader.

“The 3-member Commission collectively noted repeated deliberate pressure tactics to malign ECI in Delhi Elections, as if it is a single member body & decided to have constitutional restraint, absorbing such outbursts with sagacity, stoically & not to be swayed by such insinuations,” the ECI said in the post on X.

Top AAP leaders, including its convenor Arvind Kejriwal, have claimed that the ECI has been ignoring the Bharatiya Janata Party's alleged violations of the model code of conduct (MCC) in Delhi assembly polls.

“Action on issues raised by political parties and candidates are taken in each instance by over 1.5 lakh officials in Delhi Assembly Election 2025 who are functioning within established legal framework, robust processes & SoPs ensuring fair play and non partisan conduct,” the poll panel said.

Delhi is voting on February 5 to elect a new government. The results of Delhi Election 2025 will be declared on February 8.

Arvind Kejriwal questions EC

Kejriwal had alleged that Kumar is not taking action against the BJP to bag a post-retirement assignment. “Election Commission ceases to exist in India anymore,” Kejriwal said in a post on X on Sunday.

Kejriwal also claimed the Election Commission had surrendered before the BJP. The former Delhi chief minister asked the top election officer to "do your duty" and "give up the desire" for the post.

"Today the way the Election Commission has surrendered before the Bharatiya Janata Party, it seems as if the Election Commission does not exist. This is raising a very big question. It is justified for people to have questions in their minds that Rajiv Kumar Ji, who is the Chief Election Commissioner, is retiring at the end of this month. What kind of post has been offered to him post-retirement? The post of governor, the post of president, what kind of post can it be?" Arvind Kejriwal said at a press conference.

Kumar will demit office on February 18 on attaining the age of 65 years. Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu are the other election commissioners.

(With PTI inputs)