EC Demands Rahul Gandhi Substantiate Vote Theft Claims or Apologize

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a sharp challenge to Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, urging him to either back his allegations of widespread vote theft with a signed declaration or offer a public apology for what it deems “baseless” claims. The ECI’s response follows Gandhi’s Thursday accusations that the commission facilitated “vote chori” in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, undermining India’s electoral integrity.

Gandhi, addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, claimed that a six-month Congress investigation uncovered 1,00,250 fraudulent votes in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency alone, part of Bangalore Central. He detailed 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 entries with fake or invalid addresses, 10,452 bulk voters linked to single addresses, 4,132 voters with invalid photos, and 33,692 misuse of Form 6 for new voter registrations. “This is not just fraud; it’s an attack on democracy,” Gandhi asserted, accusing the ECI of colluding with the BJP and destroying evidence by limiting CCTV footage retention to 45 days.

ECI sources countered that Gandhi must submit a formal declaration under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, listing names of wrongfully added or removed voters to trigger an investigation. “If he believes his data, signing the declaration should be straightforward,” an ECI official told PTI. Failure to comply, they added, would indicate Gandhi doubts his own claims, necessitating an apology to the nation for spreading “absurd allegations.” Chief Electoral Officers from Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana echoed this, demanding specific evidence to initiate proceedings.

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Gandhi dismissed the ECI’s call for a declaration, stating, “My public statements are my oath to the people. The ECI knows the truth but won’t act.” He cited further irregularities, including a 1.2 crore voter surge in Maharashtra’s Assembly polls and discrepancies in Haryana, where Congress lost narrowly in 2024. He also highlighted cases of voters listed in multiple states and nonsensical voter roll entries, like names in gibberish.

The BJP hit back, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju calling Gandhi’s claims a “desperate attempt to deflect from electoral defeats.” The ECI noted that voter rolls are prepared transparently with political party oversight and referenced an unanswered June 12 letter seeking evidence for Gandhi’s earlier rigging allegations. Meanwhile, INDIA bloc leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, have protested the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, labeling it “Silent Invisible Rigging.”

The standoff has escalated tensions, with Gandhi’s allegations fueling public debate over electoral transparency. Legal experts warn that false declarations could lead to three years’ imprisonment under Section 227 of the BNS. As the ECI awaits Gandhi’s response, the controversy underscores deep political divides and raises critical questions about safeguarding India’s democratic processes.

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