NEW DELHI – The Election Commission of India (ECI) has dismissed the serious allegations made by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, who claimed the poll body is engaged in “vote theft” to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a stern statement, the ECI said it “ignores such baseless allegations” and will continue its work impartially despite the “threats.”
Gandhi made the explosive comments on Friday outside Parliament, where the Monsoon Session has been repeatedly disrupted by opposition protests concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. He asserted that an “independent probe” by the Opposition has uncovered “open and shut proof” of the ECI’s alleged misconduct.
“We have open and shut proof that the Election Commission is involved in vote theft,” Gandhi told reporters. “Most importantly, whoever in the Election Commission is involved in this exercise, right from top to bottom, we will not spare you.”
In a highly charged warning, Gandhi continued, “You are working against India, and this is no less than treason. We will find you wherever you are, even if you are retired.”
The ECI, in its response, stated that it will not be swayed by such statements. “Election Commission ignores such baseless allegations being made on a daily basis and despite threats being given daily, asks all election officials to ignore such irresponsible statements while working impartially and transparently,” the poll body’s statement read.
The controversy stems from the ongoing voter roll revision in Bihar, a process launched by the ECI to update and clean up the state’s voter list ahead of assembly elections. The opposition, however, alleges that the process is a conspiracy to remove genuine voters, particularly those from minority communities and lower castes, from the electoral rolls to influence the outcome of the upcoming polls.
This is not the first time Gandhi has leveled such accusations. He has previously raised concerns about electoral irregularities in the Madhya Pradesh, Lok Sabha, and Maharashtra elections. The ECI has consistently denied these claims, asserting that all electoral processes are conducted in accordance with established laws and rules. The Supreme Court is also currently hearing a batch of petitions challenging the legality of the SIR exercise in Bihar.