The Election Commission of India (EC) on Friday issued a strong rebuttal to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of large-scale electoral fraud, demanding that he either formally back his claims under oath or apologise to the nation.
According to Indian Express’ sources in EC, Gandhi was given “two options”. Either to sign a declaration under the law affirming his accusations or to withdraw them publicly. “If Rahul Gandhi believes in his analysis and believes that his allegations against ECI are true, he should have no problem in signing the Declaration. If not, he should apologise to the nation,” the EC statement said.
What did Karnataka CEO write to Rahul Gandhi on ‘vote chori’ allegation?
The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) wrote to Gandhi on Thursday, asking him to submit a formal sworn declaration supporting his “vote chori” (vote theft) charge, along with names of electors allegedly wrongfully included in the rolls, to enable legal proceedings.
Similar letters were sent by the CEOs of Maharashtra and Haryana after Gandhi alleged that voter lists in these states also contained incorrect and duplicate entries. The Uttar Pradesh CEO, meanwhile, publicly rejected Gandhi’s assertion that two Bengaluru electors were also registered in UP.
The EC amplified the demand on X, noting that under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, Gandhi must submit a signed affidavit to the Karnataka CEO “by today evening” if he truly stands by his claims.
Letter to Shri Rahul Gandhi, Hon'ble Member of Parliament and Hon'ble Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha
— Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka (@ceo_karnataka) August 7, 2025
Expecting the signed declaration and oath@ECISVEEP pic.twitter.com/7CLG100V2r
What was Rahul Gandhi’s response Karnataka CEO?
Rahul Gandhi refused to provide a fresh affidavit, insisting that his public statements should be taken as sworn truth. “I am a politician. I don’t lie to the people. Every word I speak in public is on oath,” he said.
He alleged a major instance of “vote chori” in a Karnataka constituency involving 1,00,250 votes and accused the EC of colluding with the BJP to “undermine democracy”. Gandhi warned polling officers accused of “electoral fraud” that they would face consequences if the Opposition returned to power.
EC vs Rahul Gandhi
The current standoff follows earlier correspondence from state CEOs seeking voter names and signed declarations from Gandhi. Officials stressed that electoral rolls are compiled transparently under the Representation of the People Act and shared with party agents. Maharashtra and Haryana CEOs pointed out that the Congress had not lodged formal appeals over alleged discrepancies in their states.
The EC also criticised Gandhi for failing to respond to a 12 June letter inviting him to substantiate his claims of rigging in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. “Why? Is it because his media statements were baseless?” EC sources asked.
Gandhi further accused the EC of “destroying evidence” by restricting the retention of CCTV and webcasting footage to 45 days unless results are challenged in court. “It’s the 21st century. You can store years of data on a hard drive, but the Election Commission wants to destroy the footage in 45 days,” he argued.
The Congress leader has warned that such alleged irregularities could reappear in the upcoming Bihar elections. Thus, intensifying political tensions ahead of the poll season.