CEC Gyanesh Kumar warned Rahul Gandhi to submit proof or apologise within seven days, rejecting “vote theft” allegations as baseless.
Rahul had alleged double voting during Bihar’s voter roll revision, sparking a direct rebuttal from the Election Commission.
Congress hit back, with Jairam Ramesh accusing the ECI of incompetence, partisanship, and failing to implement Supreme Court directives.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday issued a sharp rebuttal to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of “vote theft,” demanding that he either file an affidavit with evidence or issue a public apology within seven days.
“There is no third option,” Kumar said at a press conference in Delhi. “An affidavit will have to be given or an apology will have to be made to the country. If the affidavit is not received within seven days, it means that all these allegations are baseless.”
Rahul Gandhi had levelled charges of double voting and electoral malpractice during the launch of the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Sasaram, Bihar. Hours later, Kumar dismissed the allegations, stressing that all stakeholders are working to ensure the success of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar.
“The truth is that step by step all the stakeholders are committed to making the SIR of Bihar a complete success. When more than seven crore voters of Bihar are standing with the Election Commission, then neither can any question mark be raised on the credibility of the Commission nor on the voters,” Kumar said.
The Congress strongly criticised the Election Commission’s ultimatum, accusing it of intimidation.
“Investigate, don’t intimidate,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, arguing that Gandhi had merely cited facts derived from the Election Commission’s own data.
Ramesh accused the poll body of “incompetence and partisanship” and pointed to the Supreme Court’s directive requiring the ECI to publish details of 65 lakh voters in a searchable format during the Bihar revision exercise. He also noted that the apex court had permitted Aadhaar IDs as voter identity proof, insisting that the Commission was constitutionally bound to comply.
With the affidavit deadline set, the standoff between the Election Commission and the Opposition is likely to intensify as Bihar’s voter roll revision enters a crucial phase.
