Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 7: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday strongly rebutted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of large-scale electoral fraud in Karnataka, urging him to file a formal complaint under oath if his claims are genuine. The Commission called Gandhi’s remarks misleading and challenged him to submit a signed declaration as per Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. If not, it warned, he should refrain from misguiding citizens.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier alleged that votes were manipulated in Mahadevapura, part of the Bangalore Central constituency, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to Gandhi, BJP secured 2,29,632 votes in Mahadevapura, while Congress managed only 1,15,586—a gap of over 1.14 lakh votes. He claimed that at least 1,00,250 votes were “stolen” in this segment alone. He also alleged that his data, compiled by a 30–40-member team over six months, exposed duplication in voter rolls, with names like Gurkirat Singh and Aditya Shrivastava appearing multiple times across different booths and even in multiple states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.
In response, the ECI circulated a format for Gandhi to use if he intends to submit a declaration under oath and initiate formal proceedings. It emphasised that the burden of proof lies with Gandhi if he believes in the credibility of his allegations. Otherwise, it urged him to stop “arriving at absurd conclusions.”
Gandhi’s statements drew sharp criticism from Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who accused him of attacking institutions like the ECI and Supreme Court when outcomes don’t favour the Congress party. Rijiju labelled the claims as bogus and said the Congress was attempting to tarnish the image of the Election Commission. He added that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been a long-standing, routine process.
According to Rijiju, Congress had no issue with the same rolls when it won the majority of Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, but complained when it lost in the Assembly polls.
The controversy puts pressure on Rahul Gandhi to either substantiate his claims through a formal, legally binding route or withdraw from making unverified allegations that could undermine public trust in the electoral system.