NEW DELHI: The Congress has launched a web page urging people to register to demand accountability from the Election Commission (EC) to step up its campaign against alleged electoral roll manipulations, terming the initiative a ‘battle to safeguard democracy’.
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has named the allegations ‘vote chori’(vote theft). Through the online link, he also supported his demand for a digital voter list.
On Monday, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, led by Gandhi and floor leaders will march from Parliament House to the EC office in the morning. Sources said that the Opposition had already sought time for the meeting with EC and the march would start around 11.30 am.
Gandhi had launched a sharp attack on the EC, accusing it of colluding with the BJP to “steal elections” in the country; citing electoral rolls from Karnataka’s Mahadevapura assembly segment in Bangalore Central as evidence in a press conference in Delhi last week. He had alleged that fake names were being added to voter lists.
On Sunday, the Karnataka chief electoral officer (CEO) issued a notice asking him to share documents based on which he had alleged that a woman voted twice.
The state's top poll officer asked the Congress MP to provide documents pertaining to the assertion so that a detailed inquiry could be undertaken.
Seeking support for the campaign through the web page, Gandhi on Sunday said that ‘vote theft’ is an attack on the fundamental democratic principle of ‘one person, one vote.’
“A clean voter list is essential for free and fair elections. Our demand from the Election Commission is clear – show transparency and make the digital voter list public, so that the public and political parties can audit it themselves. This fight is for the defense of democracy,” he posted on ‘X’.
One can download an explainer and other details on the claims of the Congress leader from the portal. It also carries Gandhi's video in which reiterated his claims of a “huge criminal fraud” in the polls through collusion between the BJP and the EC.
The portal also carries a message which states that the vote is the foundation of our democracy but it is under ‘systematic attack by the BJP, with the Election Commission complicit’.
“The vote is the foundation of our democracy—but it’s under systematic attack by the BJP, with the Election Commission complicit. In just one assembly segment of Bangalore Central, we found over 1 lakh fake voters that helped the BJP win this Lok Sabha seat. Imagine this happening in 70–100 seats—it would destroy free elections. The Congress and INDIA have raised alarms before, including in Maharashtra. Now we have proof. We will fight this Vote Chori with all our strength. Join us to defend our democracy," the message on the portal reads.
The page also bears a mobile number asking people to give a missed call to join Congress’ campaign.
