Election Commission has been very unfair to opposition: Former CEC SY Quraishi

Published 14 July 2026 · politics

Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi has alleged that the current Election Commission has been "very unfair" to opposition parties and said the poll body's image

Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi has alleged that the current Election Commission has been "very unfair" to opposition parties and said the poll body's image and credibility have taken a "severe beating". He said he was "very sad" that the legacy of the Election Commission as one of the country's most credible institutions had been eroded. In an exclusive interview with PTI Videos ahead of the launch of his new book, India and I: A Hundred Memories, Not a Memoir, Quraishi said his own approach as CEC was to support opposition parties because they were the "underdogs" and out of power. He said that during his tenure, this policy particularly benefited the BJP, which was then the main opposition party. Read Full Story Asked about allegations that the current Election Commission has been unfair to the opposition and a letter by 24 opposition parties to Chief Justice Surya Kant, Quraishi said, "Well, that again is a very painful chapter because as I've written, my declared policy was to be with the opposition because they are the underdogs, they are out of power, they need your support." He added, "The government has long hands; it can get many things done as it is. So, it is the opposition which needs handholding and support." Quraishi said he had told his officers to make themselves easily available to opposition parties.

"I had told all my officers to please open all your doors to the opposition. If they want an appointment tomorrow, give them today... If you get two requests for an appointment, one from the government and one from the opposition, prefer the opposition because we have to enjoy the trust of the entire country, particularly of the opposition," he said. He added that the opposition was very comfortable with the commission during his tenure. "And let me remind you that in my entire tenure, the main opposition party was the BJP. And if some of their leaders criticise me, they're being very short-sighted. My policy has actually benefited the opposition, particularly the BJP. So, that's very important to remember," he said. On whether the EC had been "a little unfair" to the opposition, Quraishi said that was a "gross understatement" and that it had been "very unfair". "Which is why twice in the last five years they have gone to the Supreme Court. Twenty-four parties are going to the Supreme Court on appeal because the Election Commission is not giving them a hearing... That's not acceptable. How are they doing it, and how are they getting away with it? That surprises me. That is not what is expected of the Election Commission," he said.