Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar strongly rejected the claims of “vote chori” made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He said that raising allegations without evidence was not only misleading but also an “insult to the Constitution.”

CEC Explains Graded Response to Complaints

Speaking at a press conference in Delhi on Sunday, Gyanesh Kumar explained how the Election Commission deals with errors in electoral rolls. He highlighted three scenarios:

• If a voter reports mistakes within the given time, they must submit Form 7.

• When a voter raises issues after the deadline, it is only treated as a political statement.

• If allegations of theft are made against voters or the Commission after the deadline, it falls under a different category.

“The election commission has a graded response on that,” Kumar said, stressing that rules apply equally to all.

Direct Warning to Rahul Gandhi

Responding directly to Rahul Gandhi’s charge of vote theft, the CEC gave a stern warning. "Are you calling my voters liars? EC will not stay shut. He will have to apologise if, within 7 days, I don't get the oath. It means he is a liar, and he blamed my voters as liars," Kumar said.

Earlier, the EC had asked Gandhi to provide proof under oath. Gandhi replied that he had already sworn on the Constitution as an MP and suggested that the Commission verify its own data.

CEC Defends Voters and the Constitution

The CEC came out strongly in defense of the electorate. He said attempts to mislead voters with phrases like “vote chori” were damaging.

Gyanesh Kumar declared, “Unsuccessful efforts to mislead the voters amount to nothing less than an insult to the Constitution.”

He added that the Commission had found no evidence of double voting or fraud. “At a time when shots are being fired at the voters by perching a gun on the EC’s shoulder, we want to make it clear that the EC has fearlessly stood by voters from across sections and religions, and will continue to stand by them like a rock,” Kumar stated in Hindi.