"EC cannot decide who wins or loses": Former Haryana Special Chief Secretary Gulati

"There is an established procedure for appointments and removals for every position... There must be a system in place; the fact that some individuals have objections is not, in my view, sufficient grounds for such a demand," Gulati told ANI.

He added that "those seeking action against election officials could approach the appropriate courts and follow established procedures to prove their allegations".

Referring to electoral outcomes in different states, Gulati said winning and losing were part of the democratic process and expressed confidence in the Election Commission's ability to conduct elections.

"The same system governs elections where a party might lose in Himachal, Karnataka, or elsewhere, yet no one complains then. Winning and losing are part of the process," he said.

Gulati further said that the Election Commission could not simply determine who wins or loses an election, adding that voters were capable of making their own decisions.

"Ours is not a nascent democracy; our country has been independent for over 78 years. People are not so foolish that they would cast their vote in a certain direction just because the Election Commission hinted at it. No one is that naive," he said.

The remarks come after 124 former IAS, IFS and allied services officers issued an open letter to citizens, defending the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The signatories also questioned allegations of vote rigging in the absence of what they described as credible evidence.

Mahendra Kumar Parekh, a retired IAS officer and a signatory of the open letter, spoke to ANI, "SIR is not a new procedure; the purification of voter lists has been an ongoing process. It has happened numerous times since independence and is carried out in a very systematic manner. This is necessary because the names of deceased voters need to be removed, addresses change, and sometimes the same name appears in multiple locations; hence, the lists require periodic cleaning. I have conducted elections at every level, and the task of purifying voter lists takes place under the supervision of the District Election Officer. I feel that an atmosphere is being created in the country that could lead to a state of anarchy. I must say that raising questions about democratic institutions in this manner is inappropriate."

Earlier today, as allegations of electoral irregularities continue to spark political debate, 124 former IAS, IFS and allied services officers have issued an open letter defending the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, questioning claims of vote rigging without credible evidence.

In their letter to the citizens of India, the former officers said the countrys electoral system had undergone a significant transformation from the era of booth capturing, ballot box stuffing and election-related violence. They highlighted safeguards such as polling agents, sealing of electronic voting machines (EVMs), strong-room security and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) verification.

Citing the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, the officers claimed that the polls were conducted without any re-polling and recorded the highest voter turnout since 1951. They said the development reflected improvements in election management and institutional safeguards.

A system cannot be honest when you win and rigged when you lose, the letter stated, noting that the party ruling at the Centre had lost several state elections under the same Election Commission. The officers also referred to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, in which the ruling party failed to secure an outright majority on its own.

Defending the SIR exercise, the former civil servants described it as a necessary process to maintain accurate electoral rolls by identifying deceased voters, duplicate entries and individuals who had permanently shifted residence.

According to the letter, Bihars revision exercise identified around 22 lakh deceased electors and seven lakh duplicate entries, while approximately 21.5 lakh new voters were added. The officers argued that inaccurate electoral rolls could create opportunities for impersonation and undermine the integrity of elections. (ANI)