The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday hit out and issued a stern response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of large-scale voter fraud in Karnataka, challenging him to either formally affirm his claims through a signed declaration or apologise to the nation.
This follows Rahul Gandhi’s press conference in the national capital, where he accused the poll body of colluding with the BJP to “steal” over one lakh votes in the Mahadevapura assembly segment of the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency during last year’s general elections.
He alleged that a detailed investigation by a 40-member Congress team uncovered widespread irregularities, including duplicate entries, fake voter addresses, falsified photos, and questionable Form 6 applications.
“The Election Commission is working with the BJP to manipulate elections. That’s why they refuse to provide machine-readable data,” Rahul Gandhi alleged.
He further claimed that while the Congress led in other assembly segments of Bangalore Central, the BJP secured a lead of 1.14 lakh votes in Mahadevapura alone — ultimately winning the seat by 32,707 votes.
In a strong rebuttal, the ECI called Gandhi’s charges “absurd” and demanded that he either stand by them in writing or withdraw them publicly.
“If Rahul Gandhi genuinely believes in his findings, he should have no hesitation in signing the declaration. If not, he must apologise to the nation,” ECI sources said.
The Commission further expressed frustration over receiving complaints through third parties, noting that Gandhi has never directly signed communications.
“Whenever we respond, it is to others on his behalf. He then distances himself from those correspondences. For instance, in the December 2024 Maharashtra matter, our reply to a letter sent by an AICC lawyer was made public, yet Gandhi claimed he had received no response,” the ECI said.
Following Gandhi’s latest allegations, Chief Electoral Officers from several states, including Karnataka and Maharashtra, have written to him requesting specific details of the alleged discrepancies.
They have asked him to submit the information along with a signed declaration under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, to facilitate a formal investigation.
“You are kindly requested to sign and return the enclosed declaration/oath so that necessary proceedings can be initiated,” read the Karnataka CEO’s letter to the Congress MP.
Meanwhile, backing her brother, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded an investigation into the matter.
“If such serious allegations have been made, they warrant a thorough inquiry. Rather than seeking affidavits, the government and the ECI should focus on uncovering the truth. One day, those who have undermined democracy will be held accountable,” she said.
