Opposition May Push for Impeachment of Poll Body Chief Over 'Vote Chori' Claims

The INDIA bloc of the Opposition is gearing up to initiate an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. This move intensifies their clash with the Election Commission following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of extensive voter fraud. Gandhi accused the poll body of manipulating voter data in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Haryana to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

During a press conference on August 7, Gandhi claimed that 1,00,250 votes were "stolen" in Bangalore Central's Mahadevapura assembly segment, aiding BJP's Lok Sabha win. He accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of colluding with the ruling party. According to Article 324(5) of the Constitution, removing the CEC requires a parliamentary impeachment motion akin to that for a Supreme Court judge.

Opposition Accusations and Reactions

In response to these allegations, CEC Gyanesh Kumar dismissed Gandhi's claims as "baseless" and an affront to the Constitution. At a Delhi press conference, Kumar demanded that Gandhi either provide a signed affidavit supporting his accusations or apologise publicly. "An affidavit will have to be given or an apology should be made to the country," Kumar stated.

Gandhi countered by accusing the Election Commission of selective targeting. He questioned why he was asked for an affidavit while BJP MP Anurag Thakur wasn't when making similar statements. The Opposition quickly rallied behind Gandhi. Congress leader Pawan Khera remarked that CEC's comments resembled those of a BJP representative rather than an independent authority.

Allegations Against Voter Data Manipulation

Rahul Gandhi presented what he described as Congress' research on Mahadevapura voters during his August 7 briefing. He highlighted duplicate names, invalid addresses, and bulk registrations like "80 voters at one address." Additionally, he accused the Commission of "destroying evidence" by limiting CCTV and webcasting footage access from polling booths to just 45 days.

The CEC defended this decision by citing voter privacy concerns. "Should the Election Commission share CCTV videos of any voter including their mothers, daughters-in-law, daughters?" Kumar asked rhetorically. He insisted only registered voters had cast ballots and denied inflated voter lists in Maharashtra.

Election Commission's Stand

Kumar emphasised that no objections were raised during the draft roll stage in Maharashtra and no proof was submitted even eight months post-election. He stated firmly: "If you keep saying anything 10 times, 20 times, it does not become true." The CEC reiterated ECI's commitment to standing with all voters without discrimination.

The preparations for Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls are underway transparently, according to Kumar. He assured that seven crore voters' credibility supports this process.

The ongoing confrontation between the INDIA bloc and ECI underscores tensions surrounding electoral integrity in India. As both sides present their arguments, public scrutiny remains high on how these issues will unfold in Parliament and beyond.