The Congress on Monday countered Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, asserting that the poll body should first submit an affidavit in the Supreme Court confirming that its voter list is clean. Only then will the party provide its own affidavit highlighting alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls.
The remarks came a day after the CEC gave Rahul Gandhi a seven-day ultimatum to back his claims of voter irregularities with a signed affidavit, warning that failure to do so would render the allegations baseless. Congress leaders alleged that Kumar’s comments during the press conference in New Delhi resembled a “BJP spokesperson’s” statement.
Addressing the media during the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Daboor, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera mocked the CEC, saying, “From the moment he spoke, it seemed more like a BJP press briefing than an impartial announcement.” Party leader Kanhaiya Kumar accused the BJP of attempting “vote chori” and undermining the Constitution.
Kumar highlighted multiple issues with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, including the removal of 65 lakh voters without clarifying additions, harassment of voters for minor discrepancies, and inconsistent data collection by booth-level officers.
He added, “If the EC gives an affidavit, we are also prepared to submit ours. They must show their papers first.” The Congress demanded a machine-readable digital copy of the voter list to verify claims.
Earlier, the CEC had asked Gandhi to apologise or provide evidence within seven days, stating, “There is no third option. If an affidavit is not submitted, all allegations are baseless.” Congress and other opposition parties have been pressing the EC to address irregularities observed in the Maharashtra voter lists post-2024 elections.