Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was directly involved in large-scale voter fraud, claiming the Congress had “open-and-shut proof” of the alleged manipulation. However, on Friday, the poll body dismissed the accusations, calling them "baseless."

Speaking to reporters on the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the motive behind the "vote theft" was to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Rahul Gandhi also stated that the findings of the Congress' investigation are an “atom bomb,” with implications to shake the ECI.

“We had suspicion of voter theft, and we got into its granularity. Since the Election Commission was not helpful in the investigation, we did our own. It took six months, and the things we found are an ‘Atom Bomb’ and when this atom bomb explodes, you won’t see the Election Commission in the country,” he continued.

The Congress MP also said that whoever is involved in the alleged theft will "not be spared" and added that the steps taken by the ECI are “no less than treason.”“Most importantly, whoever in the Elections Commission is involved in this exercise, right from top to bottom, we will not spare you. You are working against India, and this is no less than treason. Wherever you are, even if you are retired, we will find you," said the Lok Sabha LoP.

Gandhi said his party had suspicions of poll irregularities in Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls in 2023, then in the Lok Sabha polls and then the Maharashtra Assembly polls.

Allegations baseless: ECI

The Election Commission on Friday termed as ‘baseless’ the allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that the poll authority was indulging in ‘vote theft’ for BJP and asked its officials to ignore such ‘irresponsible" remarks."The Election Commission ignores such baseless allegations being made on a daily basis, and despite the daily threats being given, asks all election officials to ignore such irresponsible statements and work in a fair and transparent manner," the EC said in response to the comments made by Gandhi.