‘Either Sign Oath Or Stop Misleading Nation’: ECI Hits Back At Rahul Gandhi Over 'Vote Chori' Allegations — Updates
Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP and ECI of electoral fraud, alleging "vote theft" in Karnataka. The ECI refuted these claims as "misleading" and demanded a signed declaration from Gandhi to substantiate his allegations.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday strongly responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s explosive claims of large-scale electoral fraud, calling his assertions “misleading” and demanding that he back them with a signed declaration. Gandhi, on Thursday, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of colluding to steal votes, describing it as a “crime against the Constitution”.
Taking serious note of his remarks, the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have asked Gandhi to submit a formal declaration under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The Karnataka CEO, in particular, directed Gandhi to submit the signed document by Thursday evening so that appropriate legal action could be initiated.
“If Shri Rahul Gandhi believes what he is saying is true, then he should sign the Declaration/Oath… and submit the same to CEO of Karnataka… so that necessary proceedings can be initiated. If Shri Rahul Gandhi does not believe in what he is saying, then he should stop arriving at absurd conclusions and mislead the citizens of India,” said the ECI in a post on X.
❌The statements made are Misleading #ECIFactCheck
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 7, 2025
✅Read the details in the image attached 👇 https://t.co/746fmzkCvl pic.twitter.com/gvhEXXto8I
In a letter addressed to Gandhi, the state election officer asked him to list the names and details of electors who were allegedly removed or declared ineligible, and clarify whether he obtained this information personally or through another source.
According to ECI sources quoted in multiple media reports, draft electoral rolls were shared with the Congress in November 2024 and final rolls in January 2025. However, the Commission pointed out that no formal appeal was made by the Congress either at the district or state level during that period.
Rahul Gandhi Cites ‘Vote Chori’ in Karnataka, BJP Hits Back
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Rahul Gandhi presented findings of what he called a six-month-long investigation into the Mahadevapura Assembly segment in Karnataka. He alleged a “vote theft” of over 1,00,000 votes, involving manipulation through duplicate entries, fake addresses, bulk registrations, invalid photos, and misuse of Form 6 for new voters.
Gandhi described the alleged manipulation as “an atom bomb on our democracy” and claimed that what his party had unearthed was “criminal evidence.” He said, “I want the nation to know that there is a huge criminal fraud being perpetrated across the country. It is being done by the Election Commission and the party in power.”
He went on to say that “this is a crime that is being committed against the Indian Constitution, against the Indian flag. This is nothing less than that.”
According to Gandhi, the Congress had been projected to win 16 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka but ended up winning only nine. Analysing vote margins in Mahadevapura, he claimed a discrepancy of over 1 lakh votes had impacted the result in Bangalore Central.
Congress Defends Claims, BJP Accuses Rahul Gandhi of 'Conspiracy'
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah endorsed Gandhi’s allegations. Siddaramaiah posted on X: “Under the guidance of Shri Rahul Gandhi, a detailed six-month investigation was conducted into the voter records of Mahadevapura Assembly segment. The probe uncovered precise evidence of systematic ‘vote theft’.”
“Today, when someone questions the ECI, instead of responding, it acts like a representative of the ruling party, leveling counter-allegations and making baseless statements without considering the demands of opposition parties…This #VoteChori is happening strategically across many seats in the country. The Congress Party will raise public awareness about this. Tomorrow, we will begin from Freedom Park in Bengaluru, Karnataka,” Kharge wrote.
Meanwhile, the BJP strongly countered the charges. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan referred to Gandhi as bayan bahadur (someone who makes tall claims), while BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said Gandhi had “crossed all limits of shamelessness” by calling the ECI fraudulent.
The BJP accused the Congress of undermining constitutional institutions. “The ideologically hollow Congress party is systematically attacking constitutional institutions. It cannot be ruled out that there is a larger conspiracy against India’s democracy and Constitution behind this calculated deceit,” Pradhan said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde also dismissed Gandhi’s remarks as baseless, saying he often makes such accusations after electoral defeats.
ECI Cautions Against False Affidavits
The CEOs of the four states—Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh—have cautioned that if Gandhi submits a false affidavit, it would be a punishable offence under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Section 227 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The ECI has invited a Congress delegation to present documentary evidence related to the allegations on 8 August between 1 PM and 3 PM.
Meanwhile, Gandhi has pushed back against the ECI’s demand for an affidavit, stating that his public statements should suffice. “They can take it as an oath,” he said, adding that the ECI “is very scared to attack him” because “he is speaking the truth”.
He also claimed that the ECI was destroying CCTV footage and voter lists, which he described as “evidence of crime”.
Gandhi is scheduled to lead a protest march in Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Friday against the alleged fraud.
Before You Go
Ram Temple Donation Row: UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana’s Remark Sparks Political Storm
Top Headlines
