The political landscape in Bihar is heating up as the state gears up for Assembly elections, with Rahul Gandhi and the Election Commission at loggerheads. The Congress leader has adopted a combative approach, announcing that should the ‘INDIA’ alliance form the government at the center, severe measures will be taken against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the other election commissioners regarding alleged ‘vote theft.’ Gandhi frames these actions as an attack on the nation.
Shifting from initial criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar, Gandhi has now directly targeted the Election Commission, accusing them of electoral misconduct. As part of his campaign, he has initiated a ‘Voter Rights Yatra’ spanning 20 districts and covering 1300 kilometers over 16 days. This yatra, with participation from opposition leaders, has effectively stirred the political atmosphere in Bihar.
Addressing a rally in Gaya, Gandhi stated his intention to pursue action concerning alleged electoral fraud. After sustained criticism from the Congress leader, the Election Commission declared that Gandhi must provide an affidavit within a week to validate his accusations, or they would be dismissed. Gandhi responded during the Gaya rally by announcing that the ‘INDIA’ alliance government would hold the CEC and other election commissioners accountable for ‘vote theft’ if the alliance comes into power.
Speaking at a public gathering in Gaya, Gandhi stated, ‘The Election Commission demands an affidavit within a week, while their own misdeeds have been revealed. They demand an affidavit from me. I want to tell the commission that the entire nation will seek an affidavit from them. We will expose their corruption in every state, every Lok Sabha constituency, and every assembly constituency, and reveal it to the entire nation.’
In a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gynesh Kumar responded to Gandhi’s claims of vote theft in the recent Lok Sabha elections and criticisms of the Bihar voter list revision process, stating that Gandhi must either apologize or present a signed affidavit to substantiate his claims. Kumar emphasized, ‘He should either submit an affidavit or apologize to the nation. There is no alternative. If no affidavit is provided within the next 7 days, his claims will be considered baseless.’ The CEC did not specify the consequences for failing to submit the affidavit during the extensive press conference.
Furthermore, the Chief Election Commissioner dismissed accusations of duplicate voting and vote theft, asserting that all stakeholders are working transparently to ensure the success of the SIR process. He expressed concern about the spread of misinformation by certain political parties and their leaders concerning the SIR process in Bihar and urged them to file any claims or objections regarding the draft voter list.
Gandhi, citing data from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has previously claimed that over one lakh votes were stolen in the Mahadevpura assembly constituency in Karnataka and alleged similar irregularities in other states. Despite requests from state election officials, Gandhi has refused to provide an affidavit to support his accusations.
Responding to the Election Commission’s demand for an affidavit, Pawan Khera, head of the Congress media department, affirmed that the Congress is not intimidated by the Election Commission’s demands. He stated that the Voter Rights Yatra has already led to a press conference and threats from Gynesh Kumar Gupta. Khera maintained that the Congress is not afraid of intimidation.
The Voter Rights Yatra, aiming to mobilize support before the Bihar elections, commenced its second day with Gandhi starting from Kutumba in Aurangabad, proceeding to Gaya district.
