Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the Election Commission of being involved in what he described as “vote chori”, calling the alleged actions a “direct attack” on the Constitution.
In a video message shared on X, Gandhi addressed the Election Commission and its officials directly, alleging that their actions were wrong and describing them as “treason” and “against the country”.
He also warned that the time would come when those responsible would be held accountable.
In a caption accompanying the video, Gandhi said, “Vote chori is a crime against the Indian people and a direct attack on our constitution.” He further alleged that the BJP, RSS and Election Commission had organised it and described it as an “act of treason”. These are Gandhi’s allegations and have not been independently established.
Remarks Follow Report on EC Dissent
Gandhi’s remarks came hours after an Indian Express report claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions taken in the name of the poll panel.
According to the report, the objections concerned several aspects of electoral-roll management, including changes to Form 6, the centralisation of ERONet controls in Delhi, voter-deletion appeals in West Bengal and difficulties in adding some eligible voters to electoral rolls in Goa.
The report also said four objections were recorded on the same day and that the two commissioners had raised concerns over access to the electoral-roll database.
Election Commission Rejects Rift Claim
The Election Commission, however, rejected the suggestion that there was an internal rift over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
EC sources told Hindustan Times that all decisions taken by the commission, including those related to SIR, had the approval of all three election commissioners — Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The poll panel said the decisions were unanimous.
The contrasting accounts — the Indian Express report describing objections recorded by two commissioners and the EC’s assertion that decisions were unanimously approved — remain central to the dispute.
What the Report Said About SIR
The Indian Express investigation said the reported objections touched on the functioning of the electoral-roll system and the process of adding, deleting and restoring voters.
It reported that Joshi had raised concerns about changes to Form 6, while Sandhu later described the change as “unauthorised and illegal”. The investigation also reported concerns over the gradual centralisation of the electoral-roll database and access for statutory officials.
The developments come amid continuing political and legal scrutiny of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision exercise.
Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ Charge
Gandhi has repeatedly raised allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls under his “vote chori” campaign. In his latest message, however, he did not directly refer to the Indian Express report or its specific findings, even though his remarks came after the report was published.
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that decisions relating to SIR were taken without the approval of its members.
The latest exchange has therefore brought renewed focus on the functioning of the three-member poll panel, the management of electoral-roll data and the ongoing debate over the SIR process.
