Wayanad, September 25: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday hit back at the BJP over its criticism of the Congress’s allegations concerning the Election Commission of India (ECI), saying the party had presented what it describes as facts and evidence regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Speaking to reporters in her Wayanad parliamentary constituency, Priyanka rejected the BJP’s argument that the Congress questions the electoral process when it loses elections. She described the response as a “stale and weak story” and said evidence presented by Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was available publicly.
Priyanka alleged that around 13 crore voter names had been deleted during the electoral-roll revision process. The figure is part of the Congress’s allegations and has been disputed in the broader debate over the SIR exercise.
“If they are meddling with the elections and if their leadership is making the Election Commission do this, then it is an act of treason,” Priyanka said, while alleging political interference in the electoral process.
She also alleged that the BJP had become overconfident and claimed that elections had been “rigged”. These are political allegations made by the Congress and have not been established as facts by a court.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier targeted CEC
Priyanka’s remarks came a day after Rahul Gandhi launched a strong attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP-led government over the electoral-roll controversy.
Rahul Gandhi questioned what he described as the absence of anti-incumbency against the BJP and called for the CEC to resign and become an “approver” in what he described as the alleged “stealing” of votes.
The Congress has stepped up its criticism of the Election Commission following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections over several decisions concerning the SIR process, IT systems and administrative matters. Reports have said the two Commissioners recorded objections on multiple occasions.
ECI rejects claims of institutional rupture
The Election Commission has rejected suggestions that the reported differences amount to an institutional breakdown.
In its September 23 statement, the ECI said that differing views, observations and written notes are part of the deliberative process in a multi-member constitutional body. It maintained that decisions of the Commission carry legal sanction and are taken under the applicable constitutional and statutory framework.
The controversy comes amid continuing scrutiny of the SIR exercise and electoral-roll changes in several states. The Supreme Court has also been examining aspects of the process, including concerns surrounding notices issued to voters in Delhi.
For now, the allegations made by Congress leaders, the ECI’s response and the reported internal objections remain part of an ongoing political and legal debate. Any claims of unlawful voter deletion or electoral manipulation would require determination through the appropriate legal and institutional processes.
