Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) after the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of Maharashtra and Karnataka asked Rahul Gandhi to submit sworn affidavits supporting his claims of large-scale voter fraud.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Priyanka questioned the timing of the affidavit demand, stressing that petitions on election results must be filed within 30 days of the announcement.
“Understand the petition properly. As per the rule, you have to submit the affidavit within 30 days or nothing will happen—so why are they asking for it now? There has been such a big revelation, and even if unintentional, it must be investigated. Why are you withholding the voter list? Why are you not probing the matter? Instead, you are asking for an affidavit. What is a bigger oath than the one we took in Parliament?” she said.
She emphasised that Congress had made its data public, alleging 40,000 fake votes, adding that adding one lakh fake votes in an Assembly segment can alter results in favour of any chosen candidate.
Taking aim at both the BJP and the ECI, Priyanka urged the government to investigate the claims rather than dismiss them. “If you go to a teacher and allege cheating, will the teacher slap you or check for cheating? Here, they are abusing him (Rahul Gandhi) and asking for an affidavit. If the government is not involved, it should investigate,” she remarked.
When confronted with the State Election Commission’s assertion that Rahul Gandhi’s claims were incorrect, Priyanka retorted, “How do they know it’s wrong without investigating? This is the democracy of our nation—it’s not a joke.”
She reiterated that the matter goes beyond party politics, warning that those who undermine democratic processes may one day face accountability when the power shifts.
On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi alleged that 1,00,250 “fake votes” were included in the electoral roll of the Mahadevapura Assembly segment in Karnataka’s Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency to secure a BJP win. In response, the Karnataka CEO issued a letter asking him to sign an oath under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and provide details of ineligible voters for further action.
Similarly, Maharashtra’s CEO asked Gandhi to submit a sworn affidavit and concrete evidence regarding his “voter fraud” allegations in the 2024 state Assembly elections.