Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched a sharp and direct attack on the Election Commission (EC) on Friday, demanding a full-scale probe into allegations of "vote chori" (vote theft) made by Rahul Gandhi. Addressing reporters at the Parliament complex, Priyanka questioned the EC's refusal to act, urging it to reconsider its loyalty if it believes its responsibility lies only with the BJP. Her fiery remarks come a day after the EC asked Rahul Gandhi to submit a signed declaration under the Conduct of Election Rules to back his claims of electoral fraud—an action the Congress views as a deflection from the real issue.
Priyanka Gandhi was emphatic in her response, stating that Rahul Gandhi had already taken an oath in Parliament, and the evidence of vote manipulation had been laid out clearly in the public domain. “Which oath is greater than what we take in Parliament? He has said this in public, shown data, and asked serious questions. If the EC is truly impartial, it must investigate,” she said.
Taking strong exception to the EC’s insistence on a formal affidavit, she argued that asking for one under a rule that only allows challenges within 30 days was a procedural smokescreen designed to avoid accountability. “Such a massive disclosure has been made—if even part of it is true, it deserves urgent investigation,” she added.
Reiterating Rahul Gandhi’s data-backed claims of over 1 lakh fake votes in a single Karnataka assembly segment, Priyanka said the implications were staggering. “That kind of number can swing an entire election. We’re not talking about a few errors. This is systematic, organized, and deliberate,” she said. She accused the EC of preemptively declaring the allegations as false without any independent verification, questioning how the commission could dismiss the claims without first examining the evidence presented.
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Drawing an analogy that resonated with many, she said, “If a student tells a teacher that cheating is happening in the exam, does the teacher slap the student or investigate the complaint?” According to her, the EC’s response—to discredit and deflect—raised doubts about its neutrality. She also warned that those involved in undermining democracy must remember that power shifts, and accountability will catch up. “If they believe their job is only to defend the BJP, then they need to rethink. Because when the tide turns, they will have to answer to the people and to history,” she said pointedly.
Priyanka also hinted at a larger plan by the opposition INDIA bloc to take this issue forward, possibly through joint parliamentary action or legal recourse. “We’ll decide our next steps together. But one thing is clear: there has been wrongdoing, and everyone can see it. Even the way BJP leaders are reacting proves we’ve touched a nerve,” she said. She emphasized that this is not just a partisan battle but a fight to protect the integrity of Indian democracy.
The Congress party has accused the EC of stonewalling and shielding the BJP amid growing concerns over electoral integrity. Rahul Gandhi had earlier released detailed statistics, alleging that over 1,00,250 votes in a Karnataka constituency were fraudulent—including 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 with fake or invalid addresses, and nearly 34,000 voters added through questionable use of Form 6. Speaking at a press conference, he had declared these revelations to be part of a criminal conspiracy to rig elections, asserting, “This is a crime against the Constitution.”
In his rebuttal to the EC’s request for an affidavit, Rahul said, “I’m a public servant, and I’ve said all this in front of the people—take it as my oath. They haven’t denied the data I presented; they’re just asking for technicalities to avoid facing the truth.” He also issued a stern warning to poll officers allegedly complicit in the fraud: “There will be consequences—no matter how junior or senior you are. When we return to power, we will hold every one of you accountable.”
As the storm brews, the Congress party is rallying support around the issue, framing it as a moment of reckoning for India’s democracy. The coming days may see increased pressure on the Election Commission to respond substantively, not just procedurally, as the opposition continues to frame the controversy as a constitutional crisis in the making.
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