New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a sharp rebuttal to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of “vote fraud,” saying the use of phrases like “vote chori” amounts to disrespecting the Constitution. In a press conference in the capital, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the poll body was being used as a platform to attack voters for political ends and stressed that the Commission stands unequivocally with the electorate.
Appearing alongside Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, Mr. Kumar underlined the ECI’s neutrality, emphasizing there is no distinction between the ruling party and the Opposition in its eyes. “Every party is the same for us,” he said, adding that the Commission will not retreat from its constitutional duties.
The remarks came on the day Rahul Gandhi launched the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, a campaign targeting the poll body over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. The Chief Election Commissioner said the SIR was initiated in response to requests from political parties to rectify and update the voter database.
Mr. Kumar noted there is a month-long period to file objections to the draft electoral rolls and urged parties to report any discrepancies. “The doors of the Election Commission are always open for everyone equally,” he said.
He added that voters, political parties, and booth-level officers are working transparently on the ground. “It is concerning that the voices of party representatives are either not reaching their leadership, or ground realities are being ignored to spread misinformation,” he said.
On demands for a machine-readable voter list, Mr. Kumar pointed to a 2019 Supreme Court observation warning such formats could compromise voter privacy. He referenced recent instances where voter photographs were publicized without consent, asking rhetorically whether the Commission should be expected to share CCTV footage of voters.
Highlighting the scale and transparency of Indian elections, the Chief Election Commissioner said more than 1 crore officials, over 10 lakh booth-level agents, and over 20 lakh polling agents are involved during a Lok Sabha election. “Can anyone steal votes in front of so many people and with such a transparent process?” he asked. Responding to allegations of double voting, he said the Commission received no proof despite requests. “Such allegations scare neither the Election Commission nor any voter,” he added.
“When the Election Commission is used as a launchpad to target voters for political reasons, we want to make it clear that we stand firmly with all voters without any discrimination,” Mr. Kumar said.
Also read: Election Commission Discusses EPIC-Aadhaar Linking, Prioritizes Constitutional Adherence
The pushback follows Mr. Gandhi’s sustained criticism, in which he has accused the Commission of colluding with the BJP and enabling irregularities. Earlier this month, he alleged voter fraud in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment in Karnataka during last year’s Lok Sabha election. Launching the Bihar Yatra, set to cover 1,300km across 20 districts, the Leader of the Opposition claimed the SIR process was being used to add and delete voters to influence the upcoming Assembly polls. “We will not let them steal the election in Bihar. People of Bihar will not let them steal elections. The poor have only the power of the vote and will not let them steal polls,” he said.
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