The Election Commission on Thursday hit back at Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him to either submit a formal declaration supporting his “vote chori” (vote theft) allegation or publicly apologise for making what it described as baseless and absurd claims. The poll body’s sharp response came hours after Gandhi accused the Commission of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. In a strongly worded statement, the Election Commission asserted that the country’s electoral rolls have been prepared in a fair and transparent manner, dismissing any claims of tampering or manipulation.
