Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has called for immediate action from the Election Commission of India (ECI) following explosive allegations of poll rigging by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. In a post on X on Friday, the Thiruvananthapuram MP described Gandhi’s claims as “serious questions” that demand urgent attention to protect the credibility of India’s democratic process.

Tagging a Congress post about Gandhi’s press conference, Tharoor wrote, “Our democracy is too precious to allow its credibility to be destroyed by incompetence, carelessness or worse, deliberate tampering. @ECISVEEP must urgently act & @SpokespersonECI should keep the nation informed.” His remarks underscore growing concerns over the integrity of India’s electoral system, especially amid Gandhi’s allegations of a “huge criminal fraud” involving collusion between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ECI.

During his Thursday press conference, Gandhi claimed that a “vote chori model” was being used in multiple constituencies, citing an analysis from a Karnataka constituency as evidence of systematic tampering. He called it “a crime against the Constitution” and urged judicial intervention, stating, “The democracy that we love so much, does not exist anymore.” Gandhi further alleged that the ECI was actively destroying evidence of this fraud, presenting what he described as “criminal evidence” gathered through Congress’s research.

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Tharoor’s public support for Gandhi’s claims is notable, given recent tensions within the Congress party. Tharoor has occasionally diverged from the party line, including on issues like Operation Sindoor, and his leadership of a diplomatic delegation to the US following the April 22 Pahalgam attack. His call for transparency and accountability from the ECI aligns with the party’s broader push to challenge perceived electoral malpractices.

The controversy has sparked widespread debate, with opposition leaders rallying behind Gandhi’s allegations while the BJP has yet to respond officially. As public trust in the electoral process hangs in the balance, Tharoor’s demand for urgent ECI action highlights the gravity of the situation, urging the commission to address these allegations transparently to safeguard India’s democratic integrity.

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