Responding to opposition charges, the EC said rolls are shared with political parties well in advance of elections, making them equally responsible for identifying discrepancies.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, August 16 — The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday broke its silence over allegations of “vote theft” made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, firmly rejecting the charges and insisting that political parties had ample opportunity to raise objections to electoral rolls in the past.
In a strongly worded statement, the poll body said:
“It seems that some political parties and their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) did not examine the Electoral Rolls at the appropriate time and did not point out errors, if any, to SDMs/EROs, DEOs or CEOs. Recently, some political parties and individuals are raising issues about errors in Electoral Rolls, including the Electoral Rolls prepared in the past.”
The EC explained that electoral rolls are always shared with political parties ahead of elections to allow them to identify mistakes:
“The appropriate time to raise any issue with the Electoral Rolls would have been during the claims and objections period of that phase, which is precisely the objective behind sharing the Electoral Rolls with all political parties and the candidates. Had these issues been raised at the right time through the right channels, it would have enabled the concerned officials to correct the mistakes, if genuine, before those elections.”
At the same time, the commission stressed that it “welcomes” scrutiny of electoral rolls, as it helps to ensure accuracy.
“It will help SDMs/EROs to remove the errors and purify the Electoral Rolls which has always been the objective of ECI.”
Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations
The EC’s clarification came a day after Rahul Gandhi unveiled what he called an “atom bomb” of evidence against the poll body. Citing alleged irregularities in the Mahadevapura assembly segment of Bengaluru Central constituency in Karnataka, Gandhi accused the EC of “colluding with the BJP” to manipulate voter lists.
Taking to X, Gandhi wrote:
“काग़ज़ मिटाओ, अधिकार चुराओ – बहुजनों के दमन के लिए भाजपा ने यह नया हथकंडा अपनाया है। This is not just electoral fraud, this is an attack on democracy itself.”
He also announced the launch of his Vote Adhikar Yatra in Bihar:
“We are bringing the Voter Rights Yatra to the people. This is the fight to protect the most fundamental democratic right – one person, one vote. Join us in Bihar to save the Constitution.”
The 16-day march will begin Sunday and cover more than 20 districts in poll-bound Bihar.
Political Reactions
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RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav backed Gandhi’s allegations, claiming irregularities in Bihar’s voter rolls.
“The Election Commission is hatching a conspiracy by issuing two Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers to BJP leaders and workers. This is a clear attempt to manipulate Bihar’s voter list,” Yadav alleged.
EC’s Objection to “Vote Chori” Remark
The EC, in its statement, also objected strongly to Gandhi’s choice of words.
“The use of the term ‘vote chori’ is a dirty phrase aimed at creating a false narrative,” the poll body said, urging restraint from political leaders.
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The commission has also asked Gandhi to submit an affidavit formalizing his allegations. Gandhi, however, refused, saying:
“I have already sworn an oath to the Constitution. I don’t need to sign another affidavit.”
The EC has announced a press conference on Sunday to further address the controversy and clarify its stance. Meanwhile, Gandhi’s Vote Adhikar Yatra is expected to become a rallying point for the Opposition in Bihar, where elections are due later this year.
