The political temperature is rising in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, with a direct confrontation emerging between Rahul Gandhi and the Election Commission. The Congress leader has taken a firm stance, stating that if the ‘INDIA’ coalition forms the government at the center, strict action will be taken against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners for alleged ‘vote theft.’ Gandhi views the alleged actions as an assault on India itself.
Initially focusing his criticism on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar, Gandhi has now shifted his focus to the Election Commission, accusing them of electoral malfeasance. To amplify his message, he has launched a ‘Voter Rights Yatra’ across Bihar, a 16-day, 1300-kilometer journey through 20 districts. This initiative, joined by several opposition leaders, has already injected a strong electoral dynamic into the state.
During a rally in Gaya, Gandhi declared his intent to take action regarding election fraud. In response to Gandhi’s persistent accusations, the Election Commission demanded an affidavit within seven days to substantiate his claims, or they would be deemed invalid. Gandhi countered this by announcing in Gaya that the ‘INDIA’ alliance government would hold the CEC and other commissioners accountable for ‘vote theft’ if they win the upcoming elections.
Speaking to a public gathering in Gaya, he remarked, ‘The Election Commission asks for an affidavit within a week, but their wrongdoing has been exposed. They ask me for an affidavit. I want to tell the commission that the entire nation will demand an affidavit from them. We will expose their malpractices in every state, every Lok Sabha constituency, and every assembly constituency, and show them to the whole country.’
In a previous press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gynesh Kumar responded to Gandhi’s accusations of vote theft during the previous Lok Sabha elections and criticism of the SIR process by stating that Gandhi should either apologize or provide a signed affidavit. Kumar stated, ‘He should either submit an affidavit or apologize to the nation. There is no third option. If an affidavit is not provided within the next 7 days, his claims will be considered unsubstantiated.’ Notably, Kumar did not specify the consequences of failing to submit an affidavit during the extensive press conference.
The Chief Election Commissioner also dismissed allegations of double voting and vote theft as unfounded, claiming that all stakeholders are working transparently to ensure the success of the SIR process. He expressed concern about misinformation being spread by some political parties and leaders regarding the SIR in Bihar and urged them to file claims and objections to the draft voter list.
Gandhi has previously presented data from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleging over one lakh instances of vote theft in the Mahadevpura assembly constituency in Karnataka, and accusing similar irregularities in other states. Despite requests from several state election officials, Gandhi has declined to submit an affidavit to support his claims.
Following the Election Commission’s demand for an affidavit, Pawan Khera, the head of the Congress media department, declared that the Congress is not intimidated by the Election Commission’s threats. He stated that the Voter Rights Yatra has already prompted Gynesh Kumar Gupta to hold a press conference and issue threats. Khera added that the Congress is not afraid of such intimidation.
The Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar, which includes Tejashwi Yadav and Mukesh Sahni, aims to galvanize support before the elections. Gandhi initiated the second day of the yatra from Kutumba in Aurangabad, which proceeded to Gaya district.