Election Commission Press Conference: EC Defends Itself, Asserts ‘Vote Chori Not Possible’

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is holding a press conference on Sunday, August 17, amid Rahul Gandhi's fresh "vote chori" (voter theft) allegations in poll-bound Bihar. Gandhi, who is leading the Voter Adhikar Yatra, has pledged to "end voter theft and expose the truth of SIR."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the Election Commission works transparently with voters, political parties, and booth-level officers, who verify and even provide video testimonials. He expressed concern that verified documents from district leaders and BLOs are being ignored to spread confusion.

He added that all stakeholders are fully committed and working diligently to make Bihar's SIR a success. Emphasizing the support of over seven crore voters in the state, he affirmed that the credibility of both the Election Commission and the electorate cannot be questioned.

On the "vote chori" row, he said such words insult the Constitution and accused some leaders of misleading voters with fear and misinformation. Rejecting Opposition claims of bias in Bihar's SIR process, he stressed that all citizens above 18 must register as voters and that for the EC, there is neither an opposition nor a ruling party.

Highlighting the scale of elections, he noted that over one crore employees, 10 lakh booth-level agents, and 20 lakh polling agents work during Lok Sabha polls. "In such a transparent process, can anyone steal votes?" he asked.

The Election Commission countered Rahul Gandhi's claims, stating that if complaints of vote mismatches are raised after the stipulated time, they are political in nature. It further said Gandhi must file an affidavit to substantiate his allegations.

Stating that allegations of "vote chori" are baseless and that the process of voter roll revision is being carried out with full transparency. Emphasizing that Bihar's nearly 7 crore voters can trust the electoral system, the ECI has positioned itself firmly against the accusations, seeking to clear the air at a politically sensitive moment ahead of the state polls.