Political strategist and Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor asserted on Monday that the Election Commission of India must break its silence and present a clear position before the nation on allegations of large-scale voter list irregularities, as opposition protests over alleged “vote theft” intensified in the capital.
Kishor said the demand for transparency had grown stronger after the entire opposition, led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, publicly placed its case with what they claimed were facts drawn from the Commission’s own data.
“The entire opposition and Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, have publicly presented their stance with facts. The Election Commission should investigate and put forth its position before the public,” Kishor said.
Raising pointed questions over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, Kishor noted that the exercise was being carried out after 23 years and demanded the poll body explain its decision.
“Our point about SIR is that the Election Commission is undertaking such a process after 23 years; they must explain why they are doing SIR,” he said.
The political strategist also trained his guns on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, questioning his remarks about illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Nepal in Bihar.
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“Union Home Minister Amit Shah is saying that infiltrators from Bangladesh and Nepal have entered. Is the Home Minister saying that, despite their government being in power at the centre and state, infiltrators entered and managed to get voting rights?” Kishor asked.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose and other INDIA bloc MPs were detained by Delhi Police during a protest march to the Election Commission headquarters. The march, aimed at highlighting alleged voter fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the ongoing SIR in Bihar, was halted near Parliament House before police escorted the MPs in buses to the Parliament Street police station.
Addressing the media during the protest, Gandhi reiterated that the agitation was not a partisan political battle.
“The reality is that they cannot talk. The truth is in front of the country. This fight is not political. This fight is to save the Constitution. This fight is for One Man, One Vote. We want a clean, pure voters list,” Gandhi said.
The issue has triggered a political storm in Bihar, which heads to polls later this year, with the opposition alleging the SIR is being misused for electoral manipulation, a charge the government has denied.
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