Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday applauded the Election Commission for its decision to share electoral roll data since 2009, but with a follow up question for the poll body.
“Good first step taken by EC to hand over voter polls,” the Congress leader said in a post on X. “Can the EC please announce the exact date by which this data will be handed over in a digital, machine-readable format?” Rahul Gandhi asked in the same post.
The EC had earlier this year assured the Delhi High Court that it would share the electoral-roll data for Haryana and Maharashtra from 2009 to 2024, news agency PTI reported. There was, however, no official word from the EC on the reported move as yet.
Rahul Gandhi vs ECI
The Congress leader had alleged that the assembly elections, held in Maharashtra and Haryana last November, were “rigged” in favour of the BJP. The Congress and its allies had suffered a massive defeat in both elections.
In an written op-ed titled ‘Match-fixing Maharashtra’, Rahul had accused the BJP of rigging the Maharashtra assembly elections through a five-step process, including tampering with the voter turnout.
The EC had, in response to Rahul’s allegations, released a point-wise rebuttal against his claims, labelling them “absurd” and saying that Rahul had raised “unsubstantial allegations”.
“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,” the EC’s statement said.
“After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd,” it said.
Rahul then slammed the poll body, stating that “unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions.”
While demanding the EC release post-5pm CCTV footage from the polling booths, Rahul said in a post on X, “Evasion won’t protect your credibility. Telling the truth will.”
“Publishing a consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states including Maharashtra” was one his demands.
EC’s response to Rahul’s claims
According to a report by news agency PTI, which quoted a source, the EC on Saturday said it would respond only if the Leader of Opposition writes to it directly.
According to the report, the EC stated that it had invited all six national parties for separate interactions. While the other five met the EC brass, Congress cancelled the May 15 meeting.
Responding to a question on Rahul’s demand for CCTV footage of Maharashtra’s polling stations, the EC source cited the instructions of the poll body, which says that the competent high court can always scrutinise CCTV footage of polling stations when an election petition is filed.
(With inputs from agencies)