'If you don't provide data...': Rahul Gandhi attacks ECI again
What's the story
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) yet again of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in voter fraud. Speaking at a rally in Bengaluru, he warned, "Think twice before attacking the Constitution. We will catch you, one by one." He demanded data such as voter lists and poll booth video recordings from the past decade to prove his allegations.
Warning
'One day, you will face the opposition'
"If you don't provide us with the data (i.e., voter lists and video recordings from elections over the past decade), we can do this work not just for one seat but for 10-15 seats... you cannot hide," he said. Adding that an analysis team has proved 100% that the Election Commission and the BJP committed theft of votes, he warned, "One day, you will face the opposition."
More allegations
'1 crore new voters went to BJP'
As further evidence of the "crime of stealing the election," he said in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the opposition alliance won in Maharashtra, but after 4 months, the BJP won the Maharashtra Assembly election. "It was a surprising election result. When we tried to find out, we learned that...1 crore new voters who had never voted in the LS polls voted in the assembly election in Maharashtra." These new votes all went to the BJP, he alleged.
Websites
ECI websites in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar shut
And today, when several people started asking questions to the ECI on its website based on the documents he shared, the Election Commission websites in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar have shut down, Gandhi added. "Instead of replying to the questions, ECI has shut down its websites in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. They (ECI) know if people continue to ask such questions, their entire system will collapse," he said.
Vote theft
Gandhi accuses ECI, BJP of stealing votes in Maharashtra election
At a press conference in Delhi, Gandhi had brought up the same allegations against the ECI and BJP on Thursday. Gandhi claimed over one crore new voters were added to Maharashtra's electoral rolls between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections within five months. In Karnataka's Mahadevapura, he said there was "vote chori" of 1,00,250 votes, 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 voters with invalid addresses, 4,132 voters with invalid photos, and 33,692 voters who misused Form 6 of new voters.
Reactions
What has BJP said on Congress leader's claims
After these allegations, the ECI asked Gandhi to provide proof of his allegations or withdraw them. The ECI said if he believes in his analysis and allegations against the poll body are true, he should sign a declaration. "If he does not sign the declaration, it would mean that he does not believe in his analysis and the resultant conclusions and absurd allegations. In this case, he should apologize to the nation," it said.
Criticism
Gandhi responds to ECI
The chief electoral officials of three states also asked Gandhi to submit the names of voters he alleged were either added or excluded illegally from the voter lists, along with a signed declaration, so that the poll authorities may take "necessary proceedings." Gandhi has since responded to the ECI, saying, "The EC asked me to file an affidavit and give the information (about alleged voter fraud) under oath... but I have taken an oath inside the Parliament holding the Constitution."