The Election Commission of India on August 16, firmly responded to allegations by Opposition parties regarding errors in electoral rolls. The clarification came after leaders, including Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav accused the Commission of manipulating the voter list in Bihar and other states, claiming it amounted to “vote theft.”
The charges intensified following Rahul Gandhi’s claim of possessing an “atom bomb of evidence” against the Commission, citing data from the Mahadevapura Assembly seat in Bengaluru Central. He accused the ECI of colluding with the BJP. Tejashwi Yadav went further, alleging that BJP leaders and workers in Bihar were issued two Elector Photo Identity Cards.
In its official statement, the ECI stressed that the “appropriate time” to raise concerns was during the claims and objections period before elections.
“Recently, some political parties and individuals are raising issues about errors in the Electoral Rolls, including those prepared in the past. The appropriate time to raise any issue with the Electoral Rolls would have been during the Claims and Objections period of that phase,” the statement read.
The Commission clarified that electoral rolls are always shared in advance with political parties to allow them to flag discrepancies. “Had these issues been raised at the right time through the right channels, it would have enabled the concerned SDM/EROs to correct the mistakes, if genuine, before those elections,” the ECI added.
While dismissing the allegations of conspiracy, the ECI maintained that it welcomes scrutiny from political parties. “Such scrutiny helps SDMs/EROs remove errors and purify the Electoral Rolls, which has always been the objective of ECI,” the Commission said.
The poll body also reminded political parties that it has consistently encouraged their participation in voter roll verification exercises, precisely to avoid disputes during or after elections.
Rahul Gandhi, however, insisted that the matter was far from procedural. He accused the Commission of being hand-in-glove with the ruling BJP. “I have already sworn an oath to the Constitution of India,” Gandhi said, after the ECI asked him to file an affidavit to substantiate his claims.
The Election Commission announced that it will hold a press conference on today (August 17) to further clarify its stance and address the allegations.
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