New Delhi [India], September 24 (ANI): Amid the escalating political row surrounding the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed with “100 percent certainty” that India’s elections, from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to a series of state Assembly contests, have been “rigged,” escalating his yearlong “Vote Chori” allegations into a direct charge against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The remarks followed an investigative report by The Indian Express, which reported that sitting Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding procedures, database changes and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of voter lists.
Gandhi criticized Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanded his resignation and said that Modi and Shah would face investigation over the alleged irregularities.
The Congress leader began his press conference with a compilation of videos of Modi and Shah expressing confidence in the BJP’s prospects and electoral victories ahead of previous elections. Gandhi questioned the basis of their confidence, arguing that political leaders operating in a democratic environment cannot reliably make such predictions.
He cited anti-incumbency in Indian politics and pointed to changes in ruling parties in states including Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
“Anti-incumbency does not exist in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. It does not exist in North Korea. There is no democracy on this planet where anti-incumbency does not exist,” he said.
Gandhi demanded Kumar’s immediate resignation and accused the Election Commission of undermining India’s democratic institutions. He described those responsible for allegedly attacking the voting process as “Desh Drohi” and said Modi and Shah were “at the top of this conspiracy.”
He also said Kumar should become an approver in the matter.
Gandhi argued that the controversy had broken the institutional chain connecting elections, the Constitution, laws and government institutions.
“From the vote, which is supposed to be protected by the Election Commission, our Constitution gets its power. From the Constitution, our laws are made, and from our laws emerge our institutions… If the vote has been destroyed, then our Constitution has been destroyed,” he said.
Gandhi also criticized the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, particularly Section 16, which provides protection from civil or criminal proceedings for certain acts performed in an official capacity.
He alleged that Congress had previously raised concerns about electoral irregularities in Maharashtra, Haryana and other states and said the Election Commission was aware of the issues.
Gandhi described the current situation as unprecedented, arguing that concerns over electoral processes had extended to the functioning of constitutional institutions.
The political dispute intensified following The Indian Express report, which said Sandhu and Joshi had repeatedly flagged procedural changes allegedly made without the full Commission’s explicit approval.
According to the report, the objections included changes involving the ERONET electoral roll database platform, modifications to new voter registration forms and decisions concerning voter deletions during the SIR exercise.
The Election Commission of India rejected the characterization of the reported objections as institutional dissent over final decisions. The poll panel said operational queries, internal feedback and administrative suggestions during the drafting process are routine within a multi-member constitutional body.
The ECI maintained that all final decisions taken by the Commission, including those related to the SIR exercise, were unanimous and approved by all three commissioners.
Congress and other Opposition parties have called for greater accountability and a review of electoral roll revisions. TMC MP Mahua Moitra filed a police complaint against the CEC, alleging procedural violations and unilateral decision-making. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also cited unanswered emails from the Goa CEO in criticizing the Election Commission.
The BJP dismissed Gandhi’s press conference as recycled and factually weak. Party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi challenged Gandhi’s arguments on anti-incumbency and cited the Congress’ electoral history in states including Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended Gyanesh Kumar, stating that decisions within the Election Commission are made by majority or consensus and describing the Opposition’s criticism as desperation.
The dispute over the SIR exercise and the ECI’s internal functioning is expected to be discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting on September 29 in New Delhi.
The Election Commission said ECINet is a secure, decentralized digital platform operated under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The poll body said statutory duties on ECINet are carried out by designated field officers, including Block Level Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, District Election Officers and Chief Electoral Officers, using unique IDs and secure credentials.
The Election Commission began a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls last year as a cleanup exercise. Under the process, electors submitted forms and documents through ECINet for processing by election officials.
The poll body launched the ECINet app in January this year, with a beta version tested during the Bihar polls last November. The platform provides real-time election results to the public and is also used by election officials. (ANI)
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