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

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday strongly rejected allegations of bias, asserting that it treats every political party and voter equally. Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said, “Every political party is born out of registration with the Election Commission. Then how can the Commission ever discriminate between them? For us, there is no ruling party or opposition—all are equal.”

He reiterated that under the Constitution, every Indian citizen who turns 18 must be enrolled as a voter and encouraged to exercise their franchise. “Whether big or small, whether in power or in opposition, the Election Commission will never step back from its constitutional duties,” Kumar stressed.

Ground Reality Ignored, Misconceptions Spread

The CEC expressed concern that despite transparency at the grassroots level, misinformation was being spread by some political leaders. He said booth-level officers and political parties’ representatives had jointly verified draft electoral rolls through signatures and video testimonials. “It is worrying that these verified documents are not reaching the higher leadership of certain parties, or worse, the ground reality is being ignored to spread confusion,” Kumar said.

“When People Stand With Us, Questions of Credibility Do Not Arise”

Highlighting Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, Kumar said the ECI, voters, political parties, and booth-level workers were working tirelessly to ensure transparency. “When over seven crore voters in Bihar stand firmly with the Commission, no question mark can be raised either on the credibility of the ECI or that of the electorate,” he stated.

Calling the term “vote theft” an insult to the Constitution, Kumar asked, “With over one crore government employees, 10 lakh booth-level agents, and 20 lakh polling agents engaged in the process, how can votes ever be stolen?”

Response to Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations

Without naming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had accused the ECI of overlooking instances of double voting, Kumar said: “Some people alleged duplicate votes. When evidence was sought, none was provided. Neither the Commission nor the voters will be intimidated by false allegations.”

“Politics on the Commission’s Shoulder”

The CEC also criticized attempts to use the Commission as a political tool. “Politics is being played by placing the gun on the Commission’s shoulder and targeting India’s voters. Let it be clear—whether poor or rich, elderly or young, women or men, across all faiths—the Election Commission has stood, stands, and will continue to stand firmly like a rock with every voter,” Kumar asserted.

Also Read: RaGa Leads ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar, Accuses BJP of Nationwide ‘Vote Theft’