Election Commission Hits Back at Rahul Gandhi, Denies 'Vote Theft' Charge

National News: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday firmly rejected Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s allegations regarding irregularities in the voter list. The press conference was addressed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, along with other senior officials of the Commission.

Every Citizen Has Equal Right to Vote

Gyanesh Kumar, while clarifying the Commission’s position, said that according to the Constitution of India, every citizen who attains the age of 18 years has the right to be enrolled as a voter and exercise their franchise. He stressed that political parties in India exist only after being formally registered with the Election Commission. “If the Commission is the authority that registers political parties, how can it ever discriminate between them? For us, all parties are equal,” he stated.

“No Opposition, No Ruling Side for Us”

The CEC highlighted that the Election Commission has no bias towards either the ruling party or the opposition. “For us, there is neither any opposition nor any ruling party. Our duty is towards the Constitution and the people of India. We will not step back from this responsibility under any circumstance,” he remarked.

Strong Objection to “Vote Theft” Remark

Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s statement on “vote theft,” Kumar termed the choice of words as inappropriate and disrespectful. He argued that such expressions damage the image of the democratic process and amount to an insult to the Constitution itself. “Politics is being played by using the shoulders of the Election Commission. But let me clarify—insulting the Commission and its work is the same as insulting the people of India,” he said firmly.

SIR to Correct Errors

Explaining the process of electoral roll management, the Chief Election Commissioner said that the Systematic Intensive Revision (SIR) is regularly undertaken to identify and rectify errors in voter lists. He assured that only those whose names are on the official electoral roll are allowed to cast their votes. “In Bihar alone, there are nearly seven crore registered voters. Each one of them is enrolled in accordance with the law, and no unverified entry is permitted,” Kumar clarified.

Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations

Earlier, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had accused the Election Commission of facilitating “vote theft” through fake entries in the voter list. He even presented certain voter data to the media and cited examples from a constituency in Karnataka to back his claim. Gandhi alleged large-scale irregularities and said that such practices weaken the credibility of Indian democracy.

ECI’s Firm Stand

The Commission’s rebuttal on Sunday made it clear that it considers such allegations baseless and politically motivated. The Election Commission reiterated its commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections while rejecting any claims of bias or malpractice.