Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 14: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has come down sharply on Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his repeated “vote chori” (vote theft) allegations, calling the phrase a “dirty word” and an attack on the integrity of the electoral system and its officials.

Mr Gandhi has been accusing the poll body of colluding with the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency, alleging large-scale irregularities to secure the ruling party’s win.

In a strongly worded statement, the ECI reminded that the principle of “One Person, One Vote” has been enshrined in Indian election law since the nation’s first general polls. “If there is evidence of any individual voting twice in any election, it must be furnished to the ECI along with a written affidavit, instead of branding crores of Indian voters as ‘chor’ without proof,” the Commission asserted.

The body further noted that such unverified claims and terms like “vote chori” undermine the dignity of lakhs of polling personnel who work to uphold free and fair elections. “Spreading false reports is a direct attack on the honesty of the electoral process,” it said.

The Commission had earlier urged Mr Gandhi to submit an affidavit detailing his allegations. However, the Congress leader refused, contending that the data in question originates from the ECI itself. “This is their data, not mine, and it is taken from their website. This demand is only a distraction,”  Gandhi maintained.

The war of words has intensified, with the ECI standing firm on its demand for concrete evidence and the Congress leadership equally resolute in its criticism of the poll body.