EC suffering from credibility crisis: 66 former civil servants write to President Kovind

New Delhi, Apr 09: With elections just days away, as many as 66 former civil servants have written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind expressing concern over the working of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which they said was "suffering from credibility crisis, thereby "endangering the integrity of the electoral process."

It appealed to the poll body through President Ram Nath Kovind to conduct itself in a manner where its "independence, fairness, impartiality and efficiency are not questioned".

The letter comes at a time when the Opposition parties have been crying foul about decisions of the poll panel being blatantly favouring the BJP and its allies.

"We are distressed to note the misuse, abuse and blatant disregard of the model code of conduct by the ruling party at the Centre and the EC's pusillanimity in coming down with a heavy hand on these violations," a India Today report quoted from the letter.

"The ECI's independence, fairness, impartiality and efficiency are perceived to be compromised today, thereby endangering the integrity of the electoral process which is the very foundation of Indian democracy. We are distressed to note the misuse, abuse and blatant disregard of the Model Code of Conduct by the ruling party at the Centre."

The letter lists "glaring instances" wherein the EC is believed to have acted in a partisan manner.