EC Gives Rahul Gandhi Fresh Ultimatum: Submit Proof of ‘Vote Theft’ Claims or Apologise

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has once again pressed Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to either provide documentary proof for his “vote theft” allegations or issue a public apology. The reminder follows notices from the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of Karnataka and Haryana earlier this week.

In a letter dated August 10, the Karnataka CEO referred to Rahul Gandhi’s August 7 press conference, where he alleged large-scale voter list manipulation in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura Assembly constituency. Gandhi had claimed that 100,250 votes were “stolen” through duplicate entries, fake or invalid addresses, and bulk registrations at single addresses with no real occupants. He also presented a tick-marked document, purportedly from Election Commission records, as evidence.

The Karnataka CEO said preliminary checks found that the voter in question, Shakun Rani, denied voting twice, and the document displayed by Gandhi did not originate from a polling officer, raising doubts about its authenticity. The CEO’s office has now asked Gandhi to submit all relevant documents that support his allegations so that a formal investigation can be carried out.

Gandhi had earlier claimed that internal Congress analysis showed the party was set to win 16 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka but lost seven unexpectedly, prompting the probe into alleged “vote chori.”

The ECI reiterated on Saturday that Gandhi still has time to respond to the Karnataka CEO’s notice and the Haryana CEO’s reminder but warned that failure to do so would leave him with one option, to apologise to the nation for making “false” allegations about the voter lists.

Also Read: If Rahul Gandhi is Right, India’s Democracy May Already Be Broken