‘Why Only Me?’ Rahul Gandhi Slams Election Commission Over Affidavit Row

Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday launched his Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar's Sasaram with sharp criticism of the Election Commission. He accused the poll body of bias, questioning why he alone was asked to provide an affidavit after raising allegations of "vote theft," while BJP leaders were not subjected to the same requirement.

"When I held a press conference on vote theft, the Election Commission asked me for an affidavit. But when BJP leaders held a press conference a few days ago, no affidavit was demanded from them. The Commission says, 'Submit an affidavit that your data is correct.' This data belongs to the Election Commission itself. Why am I being asked for an affidavit?" Gandhi asked.

The Congress leader alleged that the BJP was attempting to manipulate elections across the country. He charged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar was part of a conspiracy to "steal" the upcoming polls. "Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections are being stolen across the country. Their latest conspiracy is the SIR in Bihar. We have come together to ensure this does not happen," he said at the yatra's launch, which will cover 1,300 km across more than 20 districts in the state.

Gandhi also referred to the Maharashtra elections, alleging that nearly one crore voters had "appeared magically" in areas where the BJP went on to win. He added, "Wherever new voters arrived, BJP secured the votes. The Election Commission has not shown the video evidence."

The Congress party has been protesting against the SIR exercise, claiming it could disenfranchise voters ahead of Bihar's assembly polls later this year. Gandhi pledged to monitor the process closely, declaring, "We will catch and expose any attempts by the EC and BJP to steal votes. The country's resources are being spent for the benefit of just six industrialists."

His comments came days after he cited 2024 Lok Sabha poll data, alleging that more than one lakh votes were stolen through five types of manipulation in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of Bangalore Central. Following his remarks, the Election Commission asked Gandhi to submit a written declaration and provide evidence, cautioning him against creating a "false narrative" by repeatedly using the phrase "vote chori" (vote theft).