New Delhi: Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has escalated his attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that it refused to conduct an e‑voter list scan despite repeated requests. He claimed the Congress Party’s independent audit of voter rolls uncovered around 1.5 lakh fake voters.
Speaking at the Congress meeting, Gandhi said the findings were the result of manual verification — matching voter list entries with photographs and names, after the EC denied the party access to a comprehensive electronic voter database for scrutiny.
“We have 100% proof of vote fraud in at least one Karnataka seat,” Gandhi asserted. “If you think you will get away with this, you are mistaken.”
Demands for Transparency
Gandhi demanded that the EC immediately:
- Release voter rolls in machine‑readable, electronic format for independent verification.
- Provide post‑5 pm CCTV footage from every polling booth in Maharashtra and Karnataka to examine late voting patterns.
According to Gandhi, these measures would allow political parties and civil society to verify whether voter impersonation or inflated turnout took place.
EC’s Rebuttal
The Election Commission issued a point‑by‑point denial, calling the allegations “wild” and “baseless.” It emphasised that:
- No formal election petition challenging the results in Karnataka has been filed by Congress under the Representation of the People Act.
- Congress has not made an official request for voter roll data in the manner required by law.
- The Commission had invited Gandhi to a formal meeting to present his claims, but said he declined.
An EC official said: “If they have evidence, they must submit it legally. Political speeches are not a substitute for formal complaints.”
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah backed Gandhi, saying irregularities were visible in several constituencies and that the Congress had evidence to support claims of manipulated rolls.
- The Congress has announced plans for a mass protest in Bengaluru on August 5, focusing on “vote chori” (vote theft) allegations.
- BJP leaders dismissed the claims as political theatre ahead of the upcoming state elections.
