EC members are not clones, diversion in views not new : CEC

In a statement, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora stated that diversion of views among Election Commission members is not new and they are not expected to be clones of each other. Sunil Arora also said such differences in views largely remains within the confines of ECI after demission of office.

New Delhi:Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora responded to media reports about Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa's purported letter to him over clean chits to PM Modi on Saturday.

As per media reports, Ashok Lavasa had dissented over some decisions of Election Commission against complaints on PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

He wrote a letter to Sunil Arora on 16th May and said that he will attend meetings if his minority decisions are included in the commission's orders.

He also told Sunil Arora that his "participation in the deliberations of the commission becomes meaningless since his minority decisions go unrecorded".

In a statement, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora described the media coverage over internal functioning of ECI as 'an unsavory and avoidable controversy'.

He also stated that diversion of views among Election Commission members is not new and they are not expected to be clones of each other.

Sunil Arora also said such differences in views largely remains within the confines of ECI after demission of office.

He also said that during last meeting of the commission held on May 14 it was decided unanimously to form groups to deliberate issues which arose in the course model code of conduct of Lok Sabha polls. Out of 13 issues identified the model code of conduct is one.

The statement came one day before the conclusion of the last phase of polls.

Ashok Lavasa expressed dissent over four clean chits given to PM Modi and one to Amit Shah.