NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday responded to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) statement rejecting his allegations of “match-fixing” in elections. Gandhi, in a post on X, said the “dear EC” should answer the questions raised in his article instead of issuing “unsigned, evasive notes.“Responding to election commission of India’s (ECI) statement, Gandhi said, “Dear EC, you are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions.”The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha further noted, “If you have nothing to hide, answer the questions in my article and prove it by: Publishing consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states including Maharashtra. Releasing all post-5pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths.”“Evasion won’t protect your credibility. Telling the truth will,” the Congress MP said. His response came hours after the ECI issued a statement calling Gandhi’s allegations of “match-fixing” in the electoral process “completely absurd.”The ECI said, “The entire nation is aware that each election process including the preparation of electoral rolls, polling and counting etc. are all held by Government staff and that too in the presence of authorised representatives formally appointed by Political Parties/ Candidates from polling station upto constituency level.”The top poll body added in its statement, “Any misinformation being spread, by anyone, is not only a sign of disrespect towards Law, but also brings disrepute to the thousands of representatives appointed by their own political party and demotivates lakhs of election staff who work untiringly and transparently during elections.”“After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd,” the statement by ECI read.The election commission responded after Gandhi had shared an article of his, outlining what he described as step-by-step manipulation of the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections.“My article shows how this happened, step by step: Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission. Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll. Step 3: Inflate voter turnout. Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win. Step 5: Hide the evidence,” Gandhi wrote in a post on X. “It’s not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra. But rigging is like match-fixing – the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroys public faith in the result. All concerned Indians must see the evidence. Judge for themselves. Demand answers,” Gandhi had said.“Because the match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar next, and then anywhere the BJP is losing,” the leader of the opposition claimed in his post.
