'Disrespect to constitution': EC hits back at Rahul Gandhi's 'vote theft' allegations; says Bihar SIR 'transparent'

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Sunday hit back at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders, rejecting their allegations of vote theft and concerns related to SIR in Bihar as "misleading".

"Using words like vote chori to mislead people is a disrespect to the Constitution," Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said.

Addressing a press conference, the CEC rejected as baseless the allegations of double voting and "vote theft" and asserted that all stakeholders are working to make the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls a success in a transparent manner.

“It is a matter of grave concern that some parties and their leaders are spreading misinformation on SIR in Bihar. EC exhorts all political parties to file claims and objections on draft electoral rolls in Bihar… 15 days are still remaining."

In a veiled response to the opposition's claim of "vote theft" in elections, the CEC said, "It is an insult to the Indian Constitution if election petitions are not filed within 45 days but allegations of vote chori are raised."

"Even after the returning officer declares the results, there is a provision in the law that within a period of 45 days, political parties can go to the Supreme Court and file an election petition to challenge the election. After this 45-day period, making such baseless allegations, be it in Kerala, Karnataka, or Bihar. When that 45-day period after the elections is over and during that period, no candidate or political party finds any irregularity, then today, after so many days, the voters and people of the country understand the intention behind making such baseless allegations."

On Congress leader's allegations that the Election Commission of India (ECI) provided his party with electoral rolls in formats designed to hinder scrutiny, including reams of printed paper stacked “seven feet high” and digital files locked as non-machine-readable PDFs, the CEC said, "The machine-readable voter list is prohibited. This decision of the Election Commission is after the judgment of the Supreme Court and is from 2019."

"We have to understand the difference between a machine-readable voter list and a searchable voter list. You can search the voter list available on the Election Commission website by entering the EPIC number. You can also download it. This is not called machine-readable. Regarding machine-readable, in 2019, the Supreme Court also studied this subject in depth and found that giving a machine-readable electoral roll can violate the privacy of the voter... The machine-readable voter list is prohibited. This decision of the Election Commission is after the judgment of the Supreme Court and is from 2019..."

Neither the EC nor the voters are scared of "baseless allegations" of double voting and "vote chori", Kumar asserted.

The comments come as the Opposition stepped up its attack against the poll roll revision in Bihar and on the allegations of ‘vote chori’ raised by Congress.

The CEC sais Rahul Gandhi should either give a declaration under oath within seven days on his allegations of irregularities in the voter list. "If no declaration under oath given within 7 days, claims will be considered baseless and invalid…," he said, adding that those making unfounded allegations should apologise to the nation.

Meanwhile, Congress party responded to CEC's presser saying, "If Election Commission had done its job, then how did Rahul Gandhi meet those people who were declared dead?… The 2003 SIR was conducted in August, but it took a year. They now want to complete in 1.5 or 2 months."

"Did he give any response about the 1 lakh voters we exposed in Mahadevapura... We had hoped that today he would answer our questions... They say privacy is hampered in 45 days, then why isn't it hampered in those 45 days?... It seemed as if a BJP leader was speaking today," Congress leader Pawan Khera said while talking to news agency ANI.

VIDEO | On Election Commission’s press conference, Congress leader Pawan Khera says, “If Election Commission had done its job, then how did Rahul Gandhi meet those people who were declared dead?… The 2003 SIR was conducted in August, but it took a year. They now want to complete… pic.twitter.com/X9W61mMIgn

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 17, 2025

Congress also warned EC against the 'intimidating'. "Simple advice to the CEC: investigate, don't intimidate," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.

Simple advice to the CEC: investigate, don't intimidate

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 17, 2025

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the whole country now knows that the Election Commission is "stealing" elections in collusion with the BJP and asserted that the INDIA bloc will not let them succeed in their "conspiracy" to steal Bihar Assembly polls by voter additions and deletions through the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

He was addressing a gathering in Sasaram at the launch event of his 1,300 km 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' covering over 20 districts in Bihar.