Addressing a gathering in Bihar as part of the ongoing "Voter Adhikar Yatra," Gandhi accused the Election Commission of indulging in electoral malpractice. He alleged that the SIR process was nothing more than a new form of vote theft and likened it to a "special package" for Bihar, similar to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promises of financial aid to the state. Gandhi told the crowd, “Give us some time, we will catch your theft in every assembly and Lok Sabha seat and put it before the people."
The Congress leader further criticised the Election Commission for allegedly siding with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming the election commissioners were “working for them.” He went on to say that once the INDIA bloc takes power, they will hold the election commissioners accountable for what he referred to as the “theft of votes” from the citizens of India.
This statement from Gandhi came a day after Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar issued a seven-day ultimatum, demanding that Gandhi submit a signed affidavit to support his accusations of "vote theft" or risk having his allegations dismissed as baseless. In his first public statement, CEC Kumar had also asked Gandhi either to apologise or provide substantial proof of his claims in line with electoral rules.
“We will not let this go unchallenged. The whole country will ask you to give an affidavit,” Gandhi asserted. He emphasised that the people of Bihar would send a clear message that “vote chori” will not be tolerated in the state. Gandhi’s remarks are the latest in a series of accusations against the Election Commission, which has been embroiled in a growing rift with the opposition over the handling of electoral rolls.
https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1957390837534384553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1957390837534384553%7Ctwgr%5E319282997c1fa79fa515c4cceaaeb7917111820b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com%2Fnews%2Findia%2Frahul-gandhi-vows-action-against-ec-over-vote-chori-promises-accountability-when-india-bloc-forms-govt-2025-08-18-1004093
Adding fuel to the controversy, the Election Commission of Bihar on Monday demanded that Gandhi provide detailed information about the voters whose names were allegedly deleted during the SIR process. Gandhi had previously posted a video on the social media platform X, showing interactions with voters from Aurangabad who claimed they were unfairly removed from the voter list. In the video, Gandhi, along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, listens to complaints from voters who say local election officials ignored their pleas.
In a post on X, the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar requested that Gandhi share the necessary details, including Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers, in the prescribed format to allow for further investigation. The officer also mentioned that the last date for registering objections was September 1, 2025, and that any booth-level agent could submit claims or objections in the prescribed format.
https://twitter.com/CEOBihar/status/1957454865447203092?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1957454865447203092%7Ctwgr%5E319282997c1fa79fa515c4cceaaeb7917111820b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com%2Fnews%2Findia%2Frahul-gandhi-vows-action-against-ec-over-vote-chori-promises-accountability-when-india-bloc-forms-govt-2025-08-18-1004093
This exchange between the Election Commission and the opposition leaders comes amid growing concerns over the transparency of the electoral process, particularly the revision of voter rolls in Bihar. The controversy has sparked heated discussions about the integrity of the electoral process ahead of the upcoming general elections.
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