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On this episode of To The Point, the escalating conflict between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Rahul Gandhi is examined. Following repeated allegations of voter fraud and 'vote chori' by the opposition, the Election Commission held a press conference challenging Rahul Gandhi
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The Hindu
11 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Youth Congress stages protest against ‘vote theft' in Kalaburagi
Alleging large-scale electoral malpractice in the country, the Kalaburagi District Youth Congress on Sunday staged a demonstration against what it termed 'vote theft' by the Election Commission of India (ECI) at the behest of the ruling BJP at the Centre. As part of a campaign, agitating activists, led by District Youth Congress president Shakeel Saradagi, displayed posters at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Circle in the city and raised slogans against the ECI, saying that it is acting at the behest of the BJP-led Union government instead of maintaining its impartiality as a Constitutional body. 'The ECI is functioning like a puppet in the hands of the ruling BJP instead of acting as an independent constitutional body. The Congress leadership, including All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, has repeatedly raised questions about the fairness of elections. Rather than answering them, the Election Commission is intimidating Opposition parties. This is unacceptable in a democracy,' Mr. Saradagi said. He added that the campaign is intended to remind citizens that every vote matters. 'Ours is a country of nearly 100 crore voters. Each individual has the right to cast one vote freely and fearlessly. Our movement is about protecting that basic democratic principle. If we allow 'vote theft' to go unchecked, we will weaken the very foundation of our republic,' he said. Several Youth Congress leaders present at the event echoed the call for vigilance. Eeranna Patil Jhalaki said that their poster campaign is an attempt to take the message directly to ordinary people. 'We want the youth, women and first-time voters to know that their right cannot be compromised. Democracy survives only when every citizen participates honestly,' he remarked. Another leader Amar Shirwal observed that creating awareness is as important as raising slogans. 'Our fight is not just against the BJP but against the erosion of democratic values. By standing together, we can ensure that no one dares to snatch away people's votes,' he said. The gathering saw the participation of a number of Youth Congress leaders, including Parashuram Natikar, Umar Junaidi, Raju Malgi, Ganesh Naganahalli, Sanghpal Kamble, Aslam Sindgi and Karthik Hosamani, who pledged to intensify the awareness drive across the district in the weeks to come.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses ECI of 'colluding' with ruling party, 'threatening' Opposition
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of "colluding" with the ruling party and said instead of addressing the " vote theft " claims made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi , it tried to threaten the Opposition. Independence Day 2025 Modi signals new push for tech independence with local chips Before Trump, British used tariffs to kill Indian textile Bank of Azad Hind: When Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave India its own currency The ECI's credibility will remain in doubt until it honestly fulfilled its duty of safeguarding every citizen's vote, he said. "The Election Commission of India (ECI) finally spoke - not out of duty, but because the Congress, the INDIA Alliance, the civil society, and even the Supreme Court forced it to. And when it did, the mask slipped. Instead of behaving like an impartial referee, the @ECISVEEP looked like it was reading straight from the BJP 's script. Yesterday's press conference didn't answer questions raised by LoP @RahulGandhi - it only confirmed suspicions," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'. During a press conference in Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Gynaesh Kumar had said the electoral roll revision is aimed at removing all shortcomings in voter lists and it is a matter of grave concern that some parties are spreading misinformation about it and "firing from the EC's shoulder". The CEC rejected as "baseless" the allegations of "vote theft" and asserted that all stakeholders are working to make SIR a success in a transparent manner. Live Events The chief minister described the ECI's press conference as "shrouded in arrogance" and said the poll panel acted as though it was doing a favour by speaking directly, instead of hiding behind nameless, faceless "sources". "But what the country saw was not accountability, but an attempt to intimidate and deflect. Rahul Gandhi had shown serious mismatches in Bengaluru Central, using the ECI's own data. From that one example, it is obvious that such anomalies exist in many other constituencies too. Instead of answering, the ECI tried to threaten the opposition," he alleged. The CM pointed out that the Chief Election Commissioner asked for affidavits and oaths, as if its own numbers need certification before they can be trusted. "This is absurd. A responsible Commission would have taken the mismatch seriously, verified it, and explained it to the public. By refusing to do so, it has only strengthened the suspicion that it is working hand in glove with the ruling party. And when it claimed to be impartial towards both ruling and opposition parties, it sounded less like truth and more like a bad joke," he said. Siddaramaiah termed ECI's dismissal of concerns about "fake" and duplicate voters as "shocking". "It brushed them aside saying no one raised objections during the 45-day claims window, so the matter is closed. This is nothing but an excuse to escape responsibility. The truth is, it took time for @INCIndia to expose these irregularities because the ECI itself made the data inaccessible. We had to dig through thousands of pages in just one assembly segment of Bengaluru Central to uncover the mismatches. If this is the situation in one seat, imagine the scale across the country," he added. Siddaramaiah wondered if the ECI would simply ignore the irregularities that would come to light after elections. "Its constitutional duty is to protect the integrity of every single vote, not to shut its eyes when the problem becomes visible later," he remarked. He alleged that the excuses given on machine-readable electoral rolls and CCTV footage were even weaker. "The ECI said searchable rolls could harm privacy. But electoral rolls are already public records. Political parties are not outsiders - they are part of the democratic process. Denying them full, verifiable data will not help in protecting privacy; it will only hide errors and fraud," he said. Slamming the ECI, the chief minister termed the so-called privacy excuse on CCTV footage as "laughable". According to him, CCTV in polling booths exists to ensure transparency, not secrecy. To destroy that record after just 45 days is not protecting voters, it is protecting wrongdoing. And the biggest questions were not answered at all. "Why was the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) rushed in Bihar just months before elections and during floods? Why did Maharashtra suddenly record a surge of 70 lakh voters between 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections?" he asked. "Why did the poll panel oppose Supreme Court directions that would have made the system more transparent and voter-friendly? Why has it not taken action on the evidence given by Rahul Gandhi? On every important issue, the ECI chose silence," he alleged. Siddaramaiah reminded that democracy depended on trust. "That trust is broken when the Election Commission dodges questions, intimidates the opposition, and shields those in power. The people of India can see this clearly. No press conference or grand speech will cover up the truth. The ECI's job is to safeguard every citizen's vote - until it does that honestly, its credibility will remain in doubt," he added.
Indian Express
41 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Opposition considers motion to remove Chief Election Commissioner: What is the process?
A day after the Election Commission of India's (ECI's) press conference dismissing allegations of electoral fraud as 'baseless and invalid', the INDIA bloc on Monday said it was considering moving a motion of removal of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) during the ongoing session of Parliament. 'We have discussed action — both legal and constitutional — against the CEC. We will take the appropriate step at the right time,' Gaurav Gogoi of the Congress said in a joint press conference of Opposition leaders. The ECI is entrusted with the responsibility of conducting free and fair elections in the country. Article 324 of the Constitution and the CEC and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 lay down provisions regarding the appointment, tenure, and removal of the CEC. Process of Appointment The CEC and election commissioners are appointed by the President of India upon the recommendation from a three-member selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), and one member of the Union Cabinet. Those appointed should have previously held secretary-level positions in the Government and be 'persons of integrity, who have knowledge of and experience in management and conduct of elections,' according to the 2023 Act. The appointments are made for a tenure of six years or until the age of 65 years, whichever comes first. The CEC enjoys the same services and monetary benefits that are extended to justices of the Supreme Court. Process of Removal Article 324(5) of the Constitution states that the CEC can be removed from office only 'in like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of the Supreme Court.' This framing can also be found in Section 11(2) of the 2023 Act. The article further states that 'any other Election Commissioner or a Regional Commissioner shall not be removed from office except on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner'. With the view of shielding the ECI from political pressures, the bar for removing the CEC is purposefully set to be very high. Going by Article 124(4) of the Constitution, which contains the process for removing a Supreme Court judge, removal can only be 'on the ground of proved misbehavior or incapacity.' Misbehaviour can comprise any corrupt practices or abuse of office. Over the years, courts have interpreted this to include actions which are incompatible with the office of the CEC or the CEC's failure to discharge her official duties. Incapacity refers to a situation where the officer is unable to perform her duties. To initiate the removal of the CEC, members of both houses must bring a notice of motion explicitly alleging misbehaviour or incapacity. After the motion is admitted, an enquiry is conducted to examine the validity of the charges. This involves forming a committee to investigate evidence of misbehaviour or incapacity. The motion for removal then needs to be passed by a two-thirds majority 'present and voting' in both the houses of Parliament. Upon successful passage in the House, the President orders the removal of the CEC. There is no discretion once the constitutional requirements are met, since the President acts on the advice of Parliament in this context. The ongoing controversy On August 7, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi alleged that his party had found around one lakh 'fake voters' in the electoral rolls of the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat in 2024. Rahul claimed that a similar template — of fake addresses, duplicate entries, etc. — had been used to manipulate election results across the country. 'ECI has completely failed in discharging its constitutional duty of ensuring a free and fair electoral system in the country. It has now become clear that the ECI is not being led by officers who can ensure a level playing field. To the contrary, it is now clear that those who… — Congress (@INCIndia) August 18, 2025 On Sunday, CEC Gyanesh Kumar dismissed Rahul's allegations, and demanded the LoP submit an affidavit to validate his claims or publicly apologise to the nation. The Opposition, unsatisfied by Kumar's response, described it as an attempt to 'divert and thwart any attempt at a meaningful inquiry into voter fraud'. '[The] ECI has completely failed in discharging its constitutional duty of ensuring a free and fair electoral system in the country…it is now clear that those who lead the ECI divert and thwart any attempt at a meaningful inquiry into voter fraud and instead opt to intimidate those who challenge the ruling party,' a joint statement by the Opposition on Sunday said.
