Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India] September 13 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday claimed that the people of Bihar are dissatisfied with the Election Commission over allegations of ‘vote theft.’
Abdullah said the Election Commission must stay true to its ideals of independence and fairness.
Speaking to the reporters, Omar Abdullah said, “There are concerns regarding the special dispensation that was created for Bihar, and how useful it will be for the ruling alliance will be shown when the results come out… It has left the people of Bihar very dissatisfied with the conduct of the Election Commission… We have always taken pride in the independence and impartiality of the Election Commission. I think the Election Commission must hold true to those ideals…”
The INDIA bloc, led by Congress and Rahul Gandhi, has been vocal about alleged “vote chori” or vote theft. Rahul Gandhi claimed large-scale electoral fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in Karnataka’s Bangalore Central constituency, citing over 1 lakh fake voters.
He outlined alleged methods of vote manipulation, including duplicate voters, fake addresses, bulk registrations, invalid photos, and Form 6 misuse.
The Congress initiated the “Vote Chori” campaign with a dedicated website (votechori.in) and call-in number, urging citizens to support demands for transparent voter rolls.
The EC termed Gandhi’s claims “false and misleading,” asking him to submit a sworn declaration or apologise, citing voter roll availability in PDF format for privacy concerns.
Earlier, Congress had said that they submitted close to 89 lakh complaints to the Election Commission regarding the voter lists in Bihar, the state’s Chief Election Officer (CEO) responded by saying that the party did not follow the proper process of correctly filling up the prescribed form, as mandated to be submitted regarding any objections to the voter list.
In an official statement which was released on X, the CEO mentioned, “The Presidents of the District Congress Committees of the Indian National Congress have, in the last 1-2 days, submitted letters to the District Election Officers in Bihar, requesting the deletion of the names of around 89 lakh (8.9 million) people from the electoral rolls.”
The official statement further added that, as per the rules and directions of the Election Commission, any deletion of names can only be done through “Rule 13 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, under which only Form 7 can be submitted”.
“Booth Level Agents appointed by political parties, who can file objections in the prescribed format. Such objections, under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, must be submitted along with a declaration,” it added.
The CEO pointed out that the data mentioned in the Congress complaint of “89 lakh voters” was unverified.
The official statement mentioned that the ERO will take the ‘appropriate decision’ on the process of deletion of around 89 lakh voters. It also added that only after sworn affidavits and proper scrutiny, names would be considered for removal.
The statement also referenced the Supreme Court’s interim order dated August 22, which stated that any objections regarding incorrect entries in the electoral rolls must be submitted in the prescribed format to the concerned Electoral Registration Officer.
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister also clarified that his party, the National Conference, continue to remain a part of the INDIA bloc.
Abdullah said there may be some lack of understanding, but there is no gap between them and the alliance. He also thanked the DMK for its continued support on important issues related to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Who said we left? Not only is there a difference and distance in geography between J&K and this part of the country, but there seems to be a lack of understanding as well. There is no gap or difference between the National Conference and the INDIA bloc. We continue to remain a part of the INDIA bloc… We have always been grateful to DMK for the support that they extended to J&K for the issues that matter to us,” Abdullah said. (ANI)
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