New Delhi, India
The Election Commission (EC) has issued a notice to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, asking him to submit documentary evidence supporting his recent allegations of “vote theft” in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment, which falls under the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency.
The notice, sent on Sunday and signed by Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V. Anbukumar, states that the documents are required to enable a detailed inquiry into the claims.
Rahul Gandhi made the allegations during a press conference in New Delhi on August 7, where he presented materials he described as evidence of irregularities. The EC now wants him to furnish the exact documents he displayed, which he had claimed were drawn from official EC records.
One of the specific points mentioned in the notice concerns Gandhi’s claim that “as per records given by the polling agent, Shakun Rani had voted twice.” According to the EC, an inquiry with Ms. Rani found that she maintained she had voted only once. Furthermore, the EC said that the tick-marked document Gandhi showcased during his presentation was not issued by polling officials, as confirmed by a preliminary investigation from the CEO’s office.
“You are kindly requested to provide the relevant documents on the basis of which you have concluded that Shakun Rani or anyone else has voted twice, so that a detailed inquiry can be undertaken,” the notice reads.
During his August 7 press conference, Gandhi had outlined what he described as five main methods of “vote theft”:
- Duplicate voter entries
- Fake and invalid addresses
- Multiple voters registered at the same address
- Invalid voter photographs
- Misuse of Form 6 (used for adding names to the electoral roll)
He further alleged that in Mahadevapura alone, there were 1,00,250 fake votes.
Following his statement, the Karnataka CEO had asked Gandhi to submit an affidavit under oath, as required under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Gandhi responded that, as a Member of Parliament who had sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution, his words should be considered as made under oath.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has lodged a formal complaint with the CEO in Bengaluru regarding the alleged irregularities.
The EC has indicated that further investigation will depend on whether Gandhi provides the requested documents, which it says are essential for verifying his claims and initiating any corrective action.
