New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government systematically enabled the infiltration of Indian institutions through a U.S.-funded initiative purportedly aimed at increasing voter turnout. The controversy emerged after a now-canceled program, linked to U.S. taxpayer-funded election assistance, was highlighted in recent reports.
Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) S.Y. Quraishi, who served from July 30, 2010, to June 10, 2012, strongly refuted allegations of financial involvement, clarifying that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had only signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) for training purposes. He emphasized that the agreement imposed no financial or legal obligations on either side.
BJP Raises Concerns Over Foreign Influence
BJP’s IT department head, Amit Malviya, pointed to revelations from Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formed under former U.S. President Donald Trump, which had scrapped multiple foreign programs amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. Among these, $486 million was reportedly allocated to the ‘Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,’ with $21 million earmarked for “voter turnout” efforts in India.
"It is becoming increasingly evident that the Congress-led UPA systematically enabled the infiltration of India's institutions by forces opposed to the nation's interests—those who seek to weaken India at every opportunity," Malviya stated on X. He further alleged that the program was linked to billionaire investor George Soros, whom he described as a "known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis."
Quraishi: MoU Had No Financial Commitments
Responding to the controversy, Quraishi took to X to dismiss claims of foreign funding, calling them “completely false and malicious.” He clarified that the 2012 MoU with IFES was purely for facilitating electoral training and did not involve any financial or legal commitments. “The MoU explicitly stated, in two separate clauses, that there would be no financial or legal obligations of any kind on either side,” he reiterated.
Malviya, however, continued to question the intent behind the funding, stating, “$21 million for voter turnout? This definitely amounts to external interference in India's electoral process. Who gains from this? Certainly not the ruling party.”
The controversy has reignited political tensions, with BJP framing the issue as a matter of national sovereignty and electoral integrity, while Congress has yet to issue a formal response to the allegations.
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