Rahul Gandhi Demands EC Transparency Amid ‘Match-Fixing’ Row
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has stepped up his confrontation with the Election Commission of India (ECI), seeking clarity and accountability over what he previously described as “match-fixing” in the electoral process. This escalation follows the ECI’s dismissal of his claims as “completely absurd.”
Gandhi took to social media platform X, posting: “Dear EC, you are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions.” He urged the Commission to publish consolidated, machine-readable voter rolls for the recently concluded elections, including those in Maharashtra, and to make public all post-5pm CCTV footage from polling stations across the state.
He added, “Evasion won’t protect your credibility. Telling the truth will,” pushing back strongly against what he sees as an inadequate and opaque response from the Commission.
Election Commission Refutes Allegations
In its official response, the ECI rejected Gandhi’s allegations, labeling them “completely absurd.” The Commission emphasized that the election process is executed by government staff in full public view, and in the presence of polling agents and observers appointed by political parties.
The ECI’s statement highlighted: “Any misinformation being spread, by anyone, is not only a sign of disrespect towards Law, but also brings disrepute to the thousands of representatives appointed by their own political party and demotivates lakhs of election staff who work untiringly and transparently during elections.”
The Commission asserted that the existing electoral mechanisms and safeguards are robust, and implied that allegations without evidence damage institutional integrity.
BJP, NDA Leaders Fire Back
Several leaders from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have responded sharply to Gandhi’s remarks. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP senior leader Samrat Choudhary accused Gandhi of deflecting attention from the Congress party’s own historical misuse of power. He alleged that “real match-fixing” occurred during Congress regimes, where Election Commissioners were rewarded with gubernatorial or political posts post-retirement.
Union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Giriraj Singh also condemned Gandhi’s statements. They accused him of politicizing his recent visit to the family of Dashrath Manjhi and labeled his remarks a sign of electoral desperation.
As India grapples with a growing political divide over electoral credibility, Rahul Gandhi’s demands for data transparency and the ECI’s staunch rebuttal have created a charged atmosphere. The public and political reactions underscore the critical importance of trust in democratic institutions and the rising stakes as India heads deeper into the election season.
