Poll Body "Duty-Bound To Respond": AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj On "Vote Chori" Claims

AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged "RTI is being twisted and manipulated" in vote theft case.

New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi President Saurabh Bharadwaj asserted on Tuesday that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has an obligation to address the "vote chori" (vote theft) allegations raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

In his conversation with ANI, Bharadwaj emphasized, "When any individual makes fact-based allegations, the Election Commission, as a constitutional body, has a duty to respond. Whether it's an ordinary laborer filing an RTI request to the Prime Minister's Office or to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's office, providing an answer is mandated by the law of this country."

He further expressed concern, stating, "The manner in which RTI processes are being distorted and manipulated has led citizens to believe that extensive vote theft has occurred, which the Election Commission appears to be attempting to conceal."

Previously, responding to Rahul Gandhi's renewed vote theft accusations, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Vice President Prasanna Acharya called on the Election Commission to handle these claims with transparency and without political prejudice.

Speaking to ANI, the BJD leader emphasized that the Election Commission must clarify these matters; otherwise, doubt and suspicion will spread throughout the nation.

"Rahul Gandhi is raising critical issues that demand attention. These are serious allegations against the Election Commission, which must provide a response. Failing to do so will leave the entire country in a state of uncertainty and mistrust. The EC should offer a proper explanation without adopting a political stance," Acharya stated.

He added, "We have also submitted a petition due to our concerns about the fairness of the election process and voter list preparation. The EC has a fundamental responsibility to provide satisfactory clarification to the voters of this country. If the Election Commission responds like a political entity instead, it would be most unfortunate."

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut reinforced Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" allegations, claiming that approximately 90 percent of the Mahayuti MLAs in Maharashtra secured their victories through "vote chori."

Raut's statements followed Rahul Gandhi's recent allegations regarding "vote theft" involving roughly 6,000 votes in Karnataka's Aland Assembly constituency.

Earlier, on September 18, Rahul Gandhi conducted a press conference in New Delhi where he accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of "protecting vote chors." Gandhi alleged that the CEC is fully aware of fraudulent activities related to the deletion of legitimate voters and addition of fake voters to electoral rolls. He claimed to possess "10 percent proof" of the Chief Election Commissioner's involvement in protecting those engaged in vote theft.