Election Commission Defends Integrity Amidst Allegations of 'Vote Theft'

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday issued a firm rebuttal against accusations of 'vote theft,' labeling the charges as an attempt to tarnish the poll body's integrity and that of Indian voters. The ECI insisted that claims must be substantiated with a written affidavit and evidence of wrongdoing.

This response was triggered by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's allegations of widespread 'vote theft' in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly pointing to over 1,00,250 alleged fake votes in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment in Karnataka. Gandhi criticized the BJP, accusing them of engineering a voting fraud to manipulate election outcomes.

Amidst mounting tensions, Youth Congress activists in Delhi displayed 'vote chori commission' banners outside the ECI headquarters. Gandhi's call for a 'VoterAdhikarYatra' aims to rally citizens to defend the 'one man, one vote' principle, targeting perceived discrepancies in electoral rolls and advocating for democracy.

(With inputs from agencies.)