‘Sign or Apologise’: EC Lambasts Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Completely Incorrect’ Duplicate Voter Claim, Dares Him to Back Allegation with Declaration

New Delhi: A day after Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleged widespread irregularities in the Karnataka electoral rolls during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a strong rebuttal, demanding either formal proof or an apology.

In a statement reported by ANI, ECI sources have made it clear that Rahul Gandhi must sign a formal declaration under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, to support the allegations he presented publicly. If he fails to do so, the Commission said, he must apologise to the nation for what it termed "absurd allegations" against a constitutional institution.

‘Sign the Declaration or Apologise’: EC’s Two Options for Rahul Gandhi

"If Rahul Gandhi believes in his analysis and believes that his allegations against the ECI are true, he should have no problem signing the Declaration," EC sources told ANI.

The Commission’s response comes a day after Gandhi claimed during a press conference that over 1 lakh votes were "stolen" in the Mahadevapura assembly segment under the Bangalore Central parliamentary seat. He accused the ECI of colluding with the BJP and alleged duplication of voter names across multiple states, including Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

"If he does not sign the Declaration, it would mean that he does not believe in his own analysis and conclusions, in which case he should apologise to the nation" the ECI sources added.

In a public statement issued on Thursday, the UP CEO clarified that a detailed search of electoral rolls did not find the names of Aditya Srivastava in Lucknow or Vishal Singh in Varanasi, as alleged.

“We searched for the names of Aditya Srivastava and Vishal Singh on voters.eci.gov.in,” the UP CEO said. “These individuals are not registered as voters in Lucknow or Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.”

The UP CEO further confirmed that both Srivastava and Singh are registered only at specific booths in Bengaluru, specifically in the Mahadevapura assembly constituency.

Rahul Gandhi’s Allegation: ‘100,250 Votes Were Stolen’

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, held a press conference accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of colluding with the BJP to manipulate results in the 2024 elections. He alleged that over 1 lakh votes were "stolen" in Mahadevapura alone, helping BJP's PC Mohan secure a fourth term in Bangalore Central by 32,707 votes.

Rahul Gandhi mentioned several types of irregularities, including:

11,965 duplicate voters

40,009 voters with fake addresses

4,132 invalid photos

3,692 dubious Form 6 applications, some allegedly by centenarians

He claimed that voters like Aditya Srivastava and Vishal Singh were registered in multiple states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh — and used these examples to accuse the ECI of electoral misconduct.

Election Body Responds Across States

Electoral officials across states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana responded swiftly, asking Gandhi to submit names, voter details, and a signed oath under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, so that formal investigations could be initiated.

The CEO of Uttar Pradesh joined this coordinated response, confirming that the alleged voters in question were not listed in the state's electoral rolls. Their records are found only in Bengaluru.

“Srivastava is registered at booth number 458 and Singh at booth number 513 in Mahadevapura, Bengaluru. They are not voters in Lucknow or Varanasi,” the UP CEO’s statement concluded.

BJP’s Reaction

Rahul Gandhi’s explosive claims may fall under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which provides for punishment for making false declarations about electoral rolls.

The BJP strongly condemned Gandhi’s accusations. Senior leaders like Dharmendra Pradhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Sambit Patra accused Gandhi of undermining democratic institutions and spreading misinformation without evidence.

“Rahul Gandhi has crossed all limits of shamelessness,” Prasad said.

“If 100,250 votes were stolen, why didn’t the Congress go to court within 45 days?” asked BJP MP PC Mohan, calling the press conference “another drama.”

In response to the EC’s rebuttals, Gandhi hinted that the Congress may approach the Supreme Court and warned that officials who “colluded” will be held accountable if the Opposition comes to power.

“We are saying, if EC doesn’t give us electronic voter data of the last 10–15 years, they are partaking in the crime,” Gandhi said.

Read Also: Trump’s Tariff Shock Over Russian Oil: Expert Explains The 'Far-Reaching' Impact On India’s Trade Future