Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday took a sharp swipe at the Election Commission (EC) for demanding a signed affidavit from Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of voter list manipulation, questioning whether the poll body’s responsibility lies solely with the BJP.
Her comments come a day after Chief Electoral Officers in at least three states asked Rahul Gandhi to submit the names of electors he claimed were wrongly included or excluded from voter rolls, accompanied by a sworn declaration.
The EC, according to sources, insisted that under the Conduct of Election Rules, Rahul must either file a formal affidavit listing the alleged discrepancies or “stop misleading the public with baseless allegations.”
Responding to this, Priyanka Gandhi questioned the intent behind the demand. “If they haven’t investigated, how can they say it’s wrong? The evidence is before them. It’s not about one party—it’s about Indian democracy. If they think their responsibility is only to the BJP, they need to rethink,” she said while addressing reporters in Parliament.
She also highlighted that Rahul Gandhi’s claims—backed by data showing over 1 lakh fake or fraudulent entries in a Karnataka constituency—require serious investigation, not threats or dismissals. “Instead of probing, they’re asking for an affidavit. What oath is greater than one taken in Parliament?” she asked.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier claimed that a total of 1,00,250 fake or duplicate votes were uncovered, including voters with invalid addresses, multiple entries under one address, and fake photos. Addressing media at AICC headquarters, he challenged the EC’s response, saying, “I’ve made these claims in public—take that as my oath.”
He warned that officials involved in such electoral fraud would be held accountable when the Opposition comes to power. “You are attacking the foundation of democracy built by our freedom fighters. We will not let you get away with this,” he said.
Priyanka Gandhi concluded by asserting that the INDIA bloc will collectively decide on the next course of action regarding the alleged poll fraud and voter manipulation.
