The upcoming Bihar Assembly elections are witnessing a significant clash between Rahul Gandhi and the Election Commission. The Congress leader has adopted an aggressive stance, stating that if the ‘INDIA’ alliance gains power at the center, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners will face severe consequences for alleged ‘vote theft.’ Gandhi views the alleged actions as a detriment to the nation.
After initially criticizing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar, Gandhi has directly accused the Election Commission of electoral irregularities. He initiated a ‘Voter Rights Yatra’ across Bihar, a 16-day, 1300-kilometer journey across 20 districts. This yatra, which includes multiple opposition leaders, has heightened the political climate in Bihar.
During a rally in Gaya, Gandhi declared his intention to take action concerning alleged election fraud. In response to Gandhi’s consistent accusations, the Election Commission stated that he must provide an affidavit within seven days to validate his claims; otherwise, they would be invalidated. Gandhi responded during the Gaya rally by announcing that the ‘INDIA’ alliance government would take action against the CEC and other election commissioners for alleged ‘vote theft’ if they win the upcoming elections.
Speaking at a public gathering in Gaya, Gandhi said, ‘The Election Commission wants an affidavit within a week, even though it is they who are caught in the act. They ask me for an affidavit. I want to tell the commission that the entire nation will demand an affidavit from them. We will reveal their theft in every state, every Lok Sabha constituency, every assembly constituency and expose it to the entire nation.’
Previously, in a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gynesh Kumar responded to Gandhi’s accusations of vote theft during the last Lok Sabha elections and criticisms of the Bihar voter list revision process by stating that Gandhi must either apologize or present a signed affidavit. Kumar stated, ‘He should either submit an affidavit or apologize to the nation. There is no alternative. If an affidavit is not presented within the next 7 days, his claims will be considered unfounded.’ Kumar did not specify any consequences for the non-submission of an affidavit during his press conference.
Furthermore, the Chief Election Commissioner refuted claims of double voting and vote theft, emphasizing that all stakeholders are working transparently for the SIR process. He expressed concern about the dissemination of misinformation by certain political parties and leaders regarding the SIR process in Bihar and requested that they file any claims or objections on the draft voter list.
Gandhi, referencing data from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has alleged that over a lakh votes were stolen in the Mahadevpura assembly constituency in Karnataka and accused similar irregularities in other states. However, despite requests from multiple state election officials, Gandhi has declined to provide an affidavit to support his claims.
Pawan Khera, head of the Congress media department, stated that the Congress is not intimidated by the Election Commission’s demand for an affidavit. He indicated that the Voter Rights Yatra had already compelled Gynesh Kumar Gupta to hold a press conference and issue threats, asserting that the Congress does not succumb to intimidation.
The Voter Rights Yatra, which includes Tejashwi Yadav and Mukesh Sahni, aims to mobilize support ahead of the Bihar elections. Gandhi started the second day of the yatra from Kutumba in Aurangabad, which went through RafiGanj to Gaya district.