NEW DELHI: On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, directed his criticism towards Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following reports of internal disagreements within the Election Commission regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, igniting a political controversy.
He accused the CEC of “vote theft, law theft, institutional theft,” labeling it as an “act against the nation.” Gandhi also claimed that all elections are “rigged,” questioning why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah seemingly evade anti-incumbency challenges.
“The Election Commission is the guardian of the vote… I have evidence to suggest that Indian elections, including the 2024 Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, are rigged,” he stated during a press conference.
“Coming from a political family, I can attest that anti-incumbency is a fundamental force in India that swiftly turns against any government. Indira Gandhi, despite her popularity after the Bangladesh war, faced significant anti-incumbency a year later,” he explained. “This pattern occurs with leader after leader, including Congress and regional party leaders, yet it seems to spare Mr. Narendra Modi, Mr. Shah, and the BJP,” he noted.
Rahul highlighted that the Congress has previously raised concerns about “vote theft,” yet the institutional framework has shown little interest. “Gyanesh Kumar and two election commissioners have questioned him. My concerns have long been overlooked. The people of India believed it, but the system wasn’t interested… Gyanesh Kumar was appointed by the Prime Minister, a choice made by Amit Shah,” he remarked.
“Now, two election commissioners are indicating that Mr. Gyanesh Kumar is accountable for the chaos and damage inflicted upon our voting system. This hierarchy—from vote theft to law theft to institutional theft—illustrates the issue,” he added.
An Indian Express report has revealed that there are significant disagreements among Election Commission members regarding the SIR process, noting that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have formally objected to decisions and orders concerning electoral roll processes on multiple occasions over the past ten months.
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The Election Commission, however, has described the inquiries and observations raised by its members as part of its regular internal processes. They explained that written notes, technical inputs, and internal scrutiny are standard mechanisms to ensure compliance with legal standards and protect voter rights. The ECI reassured that all decisions, including those related to SIR, have robust legal backing and emphasized the unanimous nature of their final decisions.
