Match-Fixing Allegations: EC to Respond Only if Rahul Writes Directly
8 Jun 2025 9:11 AM
Rahul had alleged "match-fixing" in the Maharashtra polls and claimed that it would next happen in the Bihar elections and "anywhere the BJP is losing".
Leader of the Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@OfficeOfKNath via PTI Photo)
New Delhi: The war of words between the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of India has gone a level up on the allegations leveled by Leader of Opposition Mr Rahul Gandhi on inflated voter lists and fake voters in Maharashtra. While the ECI has asked Mr Gandhi to approach it directly in case of any grievance, the political allies of the Congress, particularly in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), backed Mr Gandhi on the issue saying “constitutional institutions have been hijacked under the Modi government.”
A day after Mr Gandhi sought the Election Commission's response on his article alleging rigging in Maharashtra polls, sources in the poll authority said it would respond only if the Leader of the Opposition writes to it directly.
“It is very strange that even after 24 hours have passed, Mr Rahul Gandhi has neither written any letter to ECI nor sought any time for a meeting in ECI. As per procedure, it is public knowledge and everyone knows that any Constitutional body including ECI will formally respond only when Mr Rahul Gandhi writes to them. It is very intriguing that Mr Gandhi on one side says that the issues being raised by him are very serious but when it comes to pen them down in black and white to the Election Commission, he shys away. On the other hand, like all other National Parties, when Congress was invited to meet the Commission on May 15, 2025, the party developed a cold feet and requested for some time,” sources in ECI said on Sunday.
They also pointed out that as part of its outreach, the EC had invited all six national parties for separate interactions. While the other five met the EC brass, Congress cancelled the May 15 meeting.
“Mr Gandhi is taken aback by a truthful and factual point by point rebuttal given once again by the Election Commission yesterday. He has in fact landed up criticising the Booth Level Agents appointed by his own Congress, Polling and Counting Agents appointed by his own party candidates in Maharashtra and questioned the integrity of lakhs of electoral officials involved in the polls,” ECI sources added.
On the issue of CCTV, sources tried to clarify that as per instructions of ECI, the CCTV footage of polling stations can always be scrutinised by the competent High Court in any election petition. “This is done by ECI to protect the integrity of elections as well as protect the privacy of voters. Why does Mr Gandhi himself or through his agents, want to invade the privacy of voters which is to be protected by ECI as per electoral laws ? Does Mr Gandhi not trust even the High Courts now?” sources said.
In an article on Saturday, Mr Gandhi had alleged "match-fixing" in the Maharashtra polls and claimed that it would next happen in the Bihar elections and "anywhere the BJP is losing".
RJD leader Mr Tejaswi Yadav supported Mr Gandhi’s allegations and said ever since Mr Narendra Modi led BJP government came to power in 2014, all the constitutional institutions have been hijacked. “The BJP IT Cell knows the dates of elections before the ECI announces… Everyone knows that all institutions work as a proxy of the BJP.,” Mr Yadav said.
“In the last 2020 elections, we had formed the government, the ECI did three PCs to justify why the counting was stopped in the evening? Why did it resume in the night? Those candidates who were announced as winners were later announced as losers..."
In Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Mr Sanjay Raut also supported Mr Gandhi’s saying, “The Election Commission should answer the questions he has raised, but the EC isn’t able to do that. So why is the BJP stepping in to respond? Rahul Gandhi, as the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, is the one raising these concerns.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday wrote an article countering Mr Gandhi’s claims. "Throughout your life, Rahul Gandhi, you have always made the same mistake; The dust was on your face, but you kept cleaning the mirror," Mr Fadnavis said.
The BJP and its allies in Bihar said the INDIA Bloc will face big defeat in state polls which is why he is preparing the premise.
"The problem with Congress and its leaders is that when introspection is needed, they look for excuses for losing elections... If Rahul Gandhi needs to find faults in any institution, it should not be a constitutional institution, but his own Congress party... Blaming the Election Commission, accusing someone of fixing elections, saying that the EVM is faulty, all this shows that Rahul Gandhi has already accepted defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections... After Bihar, these people will lose states like Assam and Bengal," said Union Minister Chirag Paswan.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said Mr Gandhi has been raising questions on the way the election process has been conducted, and on the fairness of the electoral rule and questioned the logic behind the BJP jumping to clarify on behalf of the ECI.
A day after Mr Gandhi sought the Election Commission's response on his article alleging rigging in Maharashtra polls, sources in the poll authority said it would respond only if the Leader of the Opposition writes to it directly.
“It is very strange that even after 24 hours have passed, Mr Rahul Gandhi has neither written any letter to ECI nor sought any time for a meeting in ECI. As per procedure, it is public knowledge and everyone knows that any Constitutional body including ECI will formally respond only when Mr Rahul Gandhi writes to them. It is very intriguing that Mr Gandhi on one side says that the issues being raised by him are very serious but when it comes to pen them down in black and white to the Election Commission, he shys away. On the other hand, like all other National Parties, when Congress was invited to meet the Commission on May 15, 2025, the party developed a cold feet and requested for some time,” sources in ECI said on Sunday.
They also pointed out that as part of its outreach, the EC had invited all six national parties for separate interactions. While the other five met the EC brass, Congress cancelled the May 15 meeting.
“Mr Gandhi is taken aback by a truthful and factual point by point rebuttal given once again by the Election Commission yesterday. He has in fact landed up criticising the Booth Level Agents appointed by his own Congress, Polling and Counting Agents appointed by his own party candidates in Maharashtra and questioned the integrity of lakhs of electoral officials involved in the polls,” ECI sources added.
On the issue of CCTV, sources tried to clarify that as per instructions of ECI, the CCTV footage of polling stations can always be scrutinised by the competent High Court in any election petition. “This is done by ECI to protect the integrity of elections as well as protect the privacy of voters. Why does Mr Gandhi himself or through his agents, want to invade the privacy of voters which is to be protected by ECI as per electoral laws ? Does Mr Gandhi not trust even the High Courts now?” sources said.
In an article on Saturday, Mr Gandhi had alleged "match-fixing" in the Maharashtra polls and claimed that it would next happen in the Bihar elections and "anywhere the BJP is losing".
RJD leader Mr Tejaswi Yadav supported Mr Gandhi’s allegations and said ever since Mr Narendra Modi led BJP government came to power in 2014, all the constitutional institutions have been hijacked. “The BJP IT Cell knows the dates of elections before the ECI announces… Everyone knows that all institutions work as a proxy of the BJP.,” Mr Yadav said.
“In the last 2020 elections, we had formed the government, the ECI did three PCs to justify why the counting was stopped in the evening? Why did it resume in the night? Those candidates who were announced as winners were later announced as losers..."
In Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Mr Sanjay Raut also supported Mr Gandhi’s saying, “The Election Commission should answer the questions he has raised, but the EC isn’t able to do that. So why is the BJP stepping in to respond? Rahul Gandhi, as the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, is the one raising these concerns.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday wrote an article countering Mr Gandhi’s claims. "Throughout your life, Rahul Gandhi, you have always made the same mistake; The dust was on your face, but you kept cleaning the mirror," Mr Fadnavis said.
The BJP and its allies in Bihar said the INDIA Bloc will face big defeat in state polls which is why he is preparing the premise.
"The problem with Congress and its leaders is that when introspection is needed, they look for excuses for losing elections... If Rahul Gandhi needs to find faults in any institution, it should not be a constitutional institution, but his own Congress party... Blaming the Election Commission, accusing someone of fixing elections, saying that the EVM is faulty, all this shows that Rahul Gandhi has already accepted defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections... After Bihar, these people will lose states like Assam and Bengal," said Union Minister Chirag Paswan.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said Mr Gandhi has been raising questions on the way the election process has been conducted, and on the fairness of the electoral rule and questioned the logic behind the BJP jumping to clarify on behalf of the ECI.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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