Have 100% Proof of EC Allowing Cheating, Won’t Let It Get Away: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said his party has "concrete 100 per cent proof" of the Election Commission (ECI) allowing cheating in a constituency in Karnataka and asserted that the poll watchdog would be mistaken if it thinks that it is going to get away with this "because we are going to come for you.” Responding to him the EC said the Leader of Opposition should wait for the verdict filed in Karnataka High Court.

"If an election petition has been filed, then wait for the verdict of Hon'ble High Court. If not, then why make baseless allegations now?" EC officials said in response to Rahul Gandhi’s charge. They added it was highly unfortunate that the LoP has not only made “baseless allegations” but also chosen to “threaten ECI, which is a Constitutional body.”

While staging a protest with the Opposition Members of Parliament outside the Parliament on Thursday on the issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi alleged ECI of stealing votes states after states and that this party has "concrete 100 per cent proof" of the EC allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka.

"Not 90 per cent, when we decide to show it to you, it is a 100 per cent proof…We just looked at one constituency and we found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency this is the drama that is taking place. Thousands and thousands of new voters, how old are they? 45, 50, 60, 65, thousands and thousands of them in one constituency. This is one thing, voter deletion, voter addition, new voters who are way above 18 (is going on)... So we have caught them," Mr Gandhi said.

"I want to send a message to the Election Commission -- if you think you are going to get away with this, if your officers think they are going to get away with this, you are mistaken, you are not going to get away with this because we are going to come for you," the LoP added. This comes a day after the Congress leader alleged that elections are being "stolen" in India and claimed that his party has figured out the modus operandi of the "votes theft" by studying a Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka.

Gandhi said he would put before the people and the EC in black in white on how the "theft of votes" is being done. He said in Bihar poll officials have so far found that more than 52 lakh voters were not present at their addresses. The Opposition has been protesting in both houses of Parliament against the revision exercise, alleging that it was aimed at disenfranchising voters in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections.

Questioning the opposition over the SIR, Chief Election Commissioner Mr Gyanesh Kumar asked how can the dead, those who have migrated permanently or have registered themselves as electors at multiple places be included in the voters' list in Bihar.

"Isn't a pure voter list being prepared by the Election Commission through a transparent process, the foundation for fair elections and a strong democracy?" he said and added that allowing ineligible people to vote, first in Bihar and later in the entire country, is against the Constitution.

"On these questions, someday or the other, all of us and all the citizens of India will have to think deeply, going beyond political ideologies," he underlined.

During house-to-house visits in the ongoing SIR of electoral roll in Bihar, poll officials have so far found that more than 52.3 lakh voters were not present at their addresses.

The ECI on Thursday said the aim of SIR in Bihar is to ensure no eligible voter should be left out. Officials said Booth level officers have reported names of 31.5 lakh electors who have migrated permanently and 21.6 lakh who have died besides about one lakh electors are untraceable.