Former poll commissioner rejects claims that US agency funded ‘voter turnout’ in India
BJP’s Amit Malviya alleged that the Election Commission had, in 2012, signed an agreement with a voting rights group linked to George Soros and funded by USAID.
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Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi on Sunday rejected allegations that funding from the United States Agency for International Development was used to help increase vote turnout when he held the post.
Quraishi said that the allegations did not “have an iota of fact” and called them “false and malicious”.
He headed the poll panel between July 30, 2010, and June 10, 2012.
USAID is an independent agency that is mainly responsible for administering foreign aid and development assistance on behalf of the US government.
On January 24, President Donald Trump imposed a 90-day freeze on money distributed by the organisation pending a review by the US State Department. USAID is led by billionaire Elon Musk
On Sunday, the US Department of Government Efficiency announced on social media platform X the cancellation of several programmes “costing taxpayers’ dollars”.
The list included $486 million in grants to the nonprofit organisation Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening, including $21 million “for voter turnout” in India.
The consortium comprises three organisations – the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute and The International Foundation for Electoral Systems – that support elections and political transitions globally.
It is funded by the USAID Global Elections and Political Transitions Program.
The Department of Government Efficiency did not provide further details, including the Indian entity or organisation that was allegedly...
