EC to Rahul over 'vote chori' claims: Give proof, don't use 'dirty phrases'

Amid sustained attacks from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over alleged voter data manipulation, the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday (August 14) said that instead of creating a false narrative using “dirty phrases” like "vote chori", proof should be presented.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi to begin Voter Adhikar Yatra from Bihar on August 17

What EC said

The poll body called it a direct attack on crores of Indian voters and an assault on the integrity of lakhs of election staff. The EC stressed that the "one person, one vote" law has been in place since India’s first elections in 1951-1952.

"If anyone has any proof of any person actually voting twice in any election, it should be shared with ECI with a written affidavit rather than colouring all the electors of India as 'chor' without any proof," it said.

The EC said that by trying to create a false narrative by using "dirty phrases" like "vote chori" for Indian electors, is not only a direct attack on the crores of Indian electors but also an assault on the integrity of lakhs of election staff.

Also Read: Supreme Court asks EC for 2003 Bihar electoral roll documents

'Vote chori' claims

The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul, last week cited data to allege that more than one lakh votes were 'stolen' in the Mahadevpura Assembly segment of Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 elections, resulting in the defeat of the Congress candidate.

Rahul ran through a presentation at a press conference in New Delhi, where he alleged large-scale vote theft in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura through methods such as duplicate entries, fake addresses, and bulk registrations at single addresses.

The EC then directed Rahul to submit a formal written declaration supporting his "vote chori" claims, along with the names of electors allegedly wrongfully included in the voter list, to initiate necessary proceedings.

(With inputs from agencies)