Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday made serious allegations against the Election Commission of India (EC), claiming that the poll body permitted electoral malpractice in a constituency in Karnataka. He asserted that the Congress has “concrete 100 per cent proof” of cheating being allowed and warned the Commission that it would be a mistake to think it could get away with it.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament House premises, Gandhi said, “If you think you are going to get away with this, if your officers think they are going to get away with this, you are mistaken. You are not going to get away with this because we are going to come for you.” He went on to say that the Election Commission is not functioning as the independent constitutional authority it is meant to be. “It is not doing its job,” he alleged.
In response to a question about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s reported suggestion that boycotting the Bihar assembly polls could be an option, Gandhi reiterated the charge. He said the Congress had uncovered "100 per cent proof" that the Election Commission allowed cheating in a seat in Karnataka.
“Not 90 per cent — when we decide to show it to you, it is a 100 per cent proof,” Gandhi stated emphatically.
Also Read: Bihar voter list cut by over 52,00,000 after SIR
Referring to the alleged irregularities found in Karnataka, Gandhi explained, “We just looked at one constituency and we found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency, this is the drama that is taking place. Thousands and thousands of new voters — how old are they? 45, 50, 60, 65. Thousands and thousands of them in one constituency. This is one thing. Voter deletion, voter addition, new voters who are way above 18 — all of this is going on. So we have caught them.”
The Congress leader also said he would present the evidence "in black and white" to both the public and the Election Commission, demonstrating how the “theft of votes” is being carried out. His comments come in the backdrop of reports from Bihar where, during house-to-house verification under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls, poll officials reportedly found that more than 52 lakh voters were not present at their listed addresses.
Opposition parties have been raising strong objections to the revision exercise in Bihar, alleging that it is a move by the Election Commission to disenfranchise voters ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Also Read: Bihar remote controlled from Delhi, says Tejashwi Yadav
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