With Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought the Election Commission’s response on his article alleging rigging in Maharashtra polls, the EC said it would respond only if the Leader of the Opposition writes to it directly, PTI quoted a source as saying.
According to the report, the EC stated that it had invited all six national parties for separate interactions. While the other five met the EC brass, Congress cancelled the May 15 meeting.
Earlier on Saturday, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha hit back at the Election Commission following sources in the poll panel rejected allegation of rigging in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls, stating the evasion would not protect its credibility but telling the truth would.
In an article, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha 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”.
Responding to a question on Gandhi’s demand for CCTV footage of Maharashtra’s polling stations, the EC source cited the instructions of the poll body, which says that the competent high court can always scrutinise CCTV footage of polling stations when an election petition is filed.
“This is done by the EC to protect the integrity of elections as well as protect the privacy of voters. Why does Rahul Gandhi want to invade the privacy of voters which is to be protected by EC as per electoral laws?” a functionary responded.
He said Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha should trust the high courts to deal with any discrepancy.
The EC source even stated that by alleging fudging in voters list, Gandhi has actually questioned booth level agents appointed by his own party and polling and counting agents appointed by his own party’s candidates in Maharashtra.
