Claims made by the Congress party in a social media post are incorrect, the Election Commission of India said on Friday, hours after the grand old party posted a video of its leader Priyanka Gandhi criticising the poll panel over not providing political parties with the voter list.
In a message posted on X, the ECI said that it prepares the voter list before every election with full involvement of all political parties. The poll panel also said that the District Election Officers (DEOs) share the voter list twice with authorised representatives of all recognised political parties, including the Indian National Congress (INC).
In a rather thorough fact check by the ECI, it further added that the first draft of the voter list shared with the parties for inviting objections and then the second and the final draft of the voter list is shared after objections are decided by the Election Registration Officers (EROs).
“Further, after the last day of nominations, voter list is again shared with the candidates,” the EC said in its post on X.
Priyanka Gandhi criticises poll panel
Earlier in the day, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi had called for the ECI to respond to allegations made against it and provide political parties with the voter list, alleging that the poll panel is not being transparent.
“They should respond to the allegations. They should provide us with the voters’ list, which we have been asking for. There should be transparency. It is a democracy. All political parties should have access to that information. Why is it not being provided?” Priyanka Gandhi told reporters outside the Parliament.
Her comments come after the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, accused the poll panel of “cheating” during the voter list revision process in a Karnataka constituency. He also claimed to have “100 per cent proof” of it.
“Today we have 100 per cent proof of Election Commission allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka. When we decide to show it to you, it is 100 per cent proof. We just looked at one constituency and we found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency this is the drama. Thousands of new votes, aged 50 or 60, 65 (are there) in one constituency. Then voter deletion, people who are way above 18,” ANI quoted Rahul Gandhi.
(With inputs from agencies.)