In a press conference on Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar responded sharply to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of vote chori (vote theft) in Bihar, calling it “baseless” and “damaging to public trust in the Constitution.”
Standing alongside Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the CEC said,
“There are only two options: either show evidence or withdraw your remarks. There is no third option.”
Kumar clarified that the allegation confused two distinct processes — voter list preparation and the act of voting. He explained that a person can vote only once, and that voter fraud cannot occur at the EVM level as suggested by the Opposition.
Without naming Gandhi directly again, Kumar added that using PowerPoint presentations and misleading visuals to back claims is “against the law and Constitution.”
What’s Happening in Bihar?
The controversy stems from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar — the first of its kind in 20 years. As per the EC, nearly 65 lakh names were removed from the draft rolls released on August 1, including 22 lakh listed as deceased.
Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders allege that names were removed without proper verification.
But the CEC clarified:
“These deaths were unreported for years. Not all happened in six months.”
What About ‘House No. 0’ and Homeless Voters?
Addressing criticism about voters listed under House No. 0, Kumar explained that this was an inclusionary effort:
“People living under flyovers or in slums must not be excluded. They deserve the right to vote too.”
Duplicate Voter IDs?
On the matter of duplicate EPICs (voter cards) — an issue flagged against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav — the CEC said such problems existed before 2003, when deletions weren’t tracked centrally. Over 3 lakh duplicate numbers were fixed this year, he added.
Kumar strongly criticised the public display of voter data, calling it a breach of privacy.
“Would you want your mother’s or daughter’s voter details shared publicly?”
He also stated that under Article 326 of the Constitution, only Indian citizens have voting rights, and therefore, the EC is within its powers to verify citizenship—despite earlier Supreme Court observations suggesting that’s the Home Ministry’s role.
Deadline to File Complaints: September 1
CEC Kumar invited all 12 recognised parties in Bihar to file objections to the revised voter lists by September 1.
“After that, no complaints will be entertained.”
He also clarified that the Supreme Court’s latest order directing the EC to publish district-wise searchable deletion lists had been implemented within 56 hours.
CEC Kumar’s message was clear:
“We are not afraid. The Election Commission stood with voters like a rock, stands like a rock, and will remain that way.”
