Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has refuted accusations of “vote theft” made by opposition parties during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of the pre-poll voter list in Bihar. Speaking at the Election Commission’s first press conference following the SIR process, Kumar dismissed the allegations as baseless, asserting they would not intimidate either the Commission or the voters. He highlighted that despite claims of double voting, no concrete evidence was presented to substantiate these assertions.
Kumar emphasized the Election Commission’s impartiality, stating it stands firm with all segments of society without discrimination. He underscored the Commission’s commitment to its constitutional duty and its neutrality towards all political parties, declaring that the ECI treats all parties equally. Furthermore, Kumar reiterated the importance of every eligible citizen, 18 years or older, exercising their right to vote.
The backdrop to these statements includes allegations made by opposition leaders, notably Rahul Gandhi, who accused the ECI of facilitating voter fraud to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Gandhi claimed to possess substantial proof of the alleged malfeasance. He cited examples from the Mahadevapura Assembly in Karnataka where he alleged a significant number of votes were stolen. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections saw the BJP fall short of an outright majority, although the National Democratic Alliance, led by PM Narendra Modi, formed the government.