The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka has asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, to back up his recent charges of election fraud with a signed statement. This action comes after Gandhi said at a press conference on Thursday that the Election Commission (EC) was “colluding with the BJP to steal polls.” He gave an example of “vote chori” in a Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka.
The CEO’s Official Response to the Claims
Rahul Gandhi said that looking at statistics from only one Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka showed huge problems with the elections, such as 10,250 stolen votes, 11,965 duplicate voters, and more over 40,000 voters with fraudulent or incorrect addresses. He said that the supposed conspiracy between the EC and the BJP was a “crime” against the Constitution.
In response, the CEO of Karnataka wrote a letter to Gandhi agreeing with his statements and asking him to sign a declaration or oath under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. This provision lets an election official ask for sworn proof during an investigation into claims and objections about the electoral roll. The letter also talked about how serious the legal repercussions are for providing a false statement. It cited Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Section 227 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Samhita, 2023, which say that submitting false evidence is a crime.
Gandhi Stands by What He Said, Says His Word Is His Oath
Rahul Gandhi stood by what he said in public when asked about the CEO’s request for a signed statement. “I’m a politician.” What I tell folks is the truth. I’m speaking it out loud for everyone to hear. He said, “Take it as an oath.”
Gandhi also said that his claims are based on data from the Election Commission, not his own. He said that the EC has not rejected the precise facts he gave about the voter list. “Interestingly, they haven’t refuted the facts. They haven’t said that the voter list that Rahul Gandhi is talking about is inaccurate. Why don’t you tell them they’re wrong? He said, “Because you know the truth,” and said that these kinds of problems had been happening “across the country.”
The CEO’s letter had a draft of the declaration/oath. This would compel Gandhi to swear that what he said is truthful to the best of his knowledge and belief, and it would also make him aware of the consequences of making a false declaration. The CEO has asked Gandhi to send back this signed form together with the names of the people who voted so that the right steps can be taken.