CEC Gyanesh Kumar Slams Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ Claim, Seeks Oath or Apology

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote chori’ allegations, calling such language an “insult to the Constitution.”

Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, was addressing a press conference at the National Media Centre in New Delhi.

Earlier this month, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged during a press conference that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to “steal” elections. Following his remarks, Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in several states requested Gandhi to provide a formal oath regarding his claims. While the ECI held its press conference, the Congress, RJD, and their allies organized a ‘Voter Adhikaar Rally’ in Bihar, protesting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls ahead of the state elections.

Justifying the ECI’s stance without directly naming Gandhi, Kumar said, “PPTs are prepared and ECI’s data is misinterpreted to claim that elections did not occur correctly. Electoral rolls and elections are separate issues, and the laws and rules governing each are distinct.”

He described it as a “matter of concern” that efforts are being made to create confusion by overlooking the ground reality.

“If flaws in the electoral rolls are not raised within the prescribed timeframe, or if election petitions are not filed in the High Court within 45 days of voters electing their representatives, and yet terms like ‘vote chori’ are used to mislead citizens, isn’t this an insult to the Constitution?” Kumar asked.

He asserted that several voters were being wrongly accused of casting multiple votes. “Neither the ECI nor the voters fear such false allegations. When attempts are made to pressure the ECI, we want to make it clear that the Commission remains fearless, steadfast like a rock, impartial, and committed to all voters, regardless of class, religion, age, gender, or economic status,” he said.

Responding to questions on why Gandhi’s allegations require an oath, Kumar clarified, “The ECI cannot act on such serious claims without an oath,” adding that no proof or evidence has been presented to substantiate the allegations.

“Either provide an oath or apologise to the nation, there is no third option. If we do not receive an affidavit within seven days, it will confirm that these allegations are baseless, and the person accusing our voters of fraud must apologise,” he said, questioning whether the voters were being labelled as “liars.

The Chief Election Commissioner also stated that the ECI has complied with the Supreme Court’s directive issued on Thursday to publish the list of 65 lakh names removed from the draft electoral roll released on 1 August, as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.

He added that the Election Commission adhered to the directive within 56 hours, and the deleted voters can now be searched booth-wise on the websites of the respective district election officers.

Authorities Seek Papers from Non-Citizens

Regarding individuals identified as potentially being of other nationalities through the SIR exercise, Kumar stated that they have been asked to submit documents to verify their identity. “These documents will be carefully examined until 30 September. Anyone found not to be a citizen of our country will be identified through a thorough investigation and will be barred from voting,” he said.

Kumar also addressed other allegations regarding the electoral rolls. He cited voter privacy as the reason for not releasing CCTV footage from polling booths, asking, “Should anyone’s CCTV footage, including your mothers, daughters, or daughters-in-law, be made public?”

He further questioned the disclosure of voter information and photos but rejected claims of bias, stating, “Under the law, every political party is registered with the ECI. How can the Commission be biased against any party? For the ECI, there is no Opposition, no favourites, everyone is treated equally.”

Kumar also clarified that several individuals have “0” listed as their house numbers. “This happens because the panchayat or municipality where they reside has not assigned a number. In unauthorised colonies within cities, there is no official numbering. ECI guidelines instruct that a notional number be given, which appears as ‘0’ in the system,” he explained.

He emphasised that addresses are less important than proving citizenship, being at least 18 years old, and living near the polling booth in order to qualify as a voter.

Also Read: CEC: With One Crore Employees, 20 Lakh Polling Agents, How Can Votes Be Stolen?