In a petition, a BJP delegation comprising Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal, accompanied by party leader Om Pathak, exhorted the EC to “take cognizance of the systematic attempts to undermine the electoral process and take stringent action against those responsible”. The delegation also sought a “public statement affirming the integrity of the electoral process and warning against any attempts to disrupt the democratic process”.

“The decisive mandates given by the Indian electorate in the 2014 and 2019 general elections, which brought the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power, have been repeatedly challenged by the opposition through baseless allegations and actions,” the petition said.

“Despite clear verdicts from the people, the opposition has resorted to a series of unfounded claims aimed at discrediting the election process. Opposition parties and their affiliated civil societies have systematically orchestrated campaigns over the past several years to target the judiciary and the Election Commission of India (ECI),” it said. “The pattern is clear: first, target the institutions; then, the election process; and if court verdicts do not favor them, target the judicial verdicts.”

“Numerous petitions have been filed challenging the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), and the counting process. The Supreme Court has consistently rejected these conspiracy theories and questioned the bona fides of these petitions, highlighting their baseless nature. These actions are a clear attempt to undermine the authority of the Supreme Court and the ECI, thereby eroding public trust in these crucial institutions,” it said.

“The same opposition parties, when they win where EVMs are used, claim their victory as a victory of democracy. However, when the Bharatiya Janata Party is winning, they start doubting the EVMs, judiciary, and ECI,” the petition said. “This is a sinister attempt where certain bodies, in the guise of civil societies clearly fronting for the opposition, are now coming ahead to further undermine the electoral process. We are concerned about these sinister attempts and feel it is our duty to point them out to the ECI and the public at large to expose these criminal conspiracies.”

“Petitions questioning the disclosure of Form 17C and seeking booth-wise voter turnout data have been decisively rejected by the court. The Supreme Court’s refusal to entertain these petitions underscores their flawed and untimely nature, serving only to distract from the conclusive election results. These manufactured controversies are intended to create mistrust in the electoral process and instigate unrest among citizens.”

The BJP urged the EC to “ensure the safety and security of the electoral process during the counting and announcement of results, including enhanced monitoring and security measures to prevent any attempts at violence or unrest”.

After meeting the EC, Goyal told reporters, “I think the mandate given by the people of India both in 2014 and 2019, and the likely mandate of the 2024 general elections, expected on June 4, has unnerved the opposition parties and certain non- governmental organizations, so-called civil society groups, who cannot accept a popular leader of the masses who has delivered for the well-being of 1.4 billion Indians.”