ECI to hold press conference on August 17 amid 'vote theft' allegations

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Saturday that it will hold a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at 3:00 PM at the National Media Centre on Raisina Road. This will be the first time the constitutional body holds a press briefing since the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar.

As per reports, access to the event will be strictly limited to journalists and cameramen accredited by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

The press conference is scheduled just before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s planned ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra,’ a protest against the SIR exercise ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. Gandhi has called on citizens to "join this people's movement."

This marks the Election Commission’s first public response since opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, raised allegations of "vote theft" during the Bihar SIR operation and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In a press briefing on August 1, Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of direct involvement in widespread voter fraud, asserting that Congress possesses “open-and-shut proof” of this misconduct. Speaking about the Bihar SIR exercise, Gandhi claimed the motive behind the alleged fraud was to favour the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He stated, "Votes are being stolen. We have open-and-shut proof that the Election Commission is involved in this vote theft. And I'm not saying this lightly; I'm speaking with 100 per cent proof. When we release it (proof), the entire country will know that the Election Commission is enabling vote theft. And who are they doing it for? They're doing it for the BJP."

On August 7, Gandhi held another press conference presenting Congress’s research on voting irregularities in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in Karnataka. He alleged a “vote chori” (vote theft) involving 1,00,250 votes.

In his remarks, Gandhi fiercely criticised both the BJP and the Election Commission, accusing them of collusion that enabled Prime Minister Narendra Modi to secure a third term. He also claimed that the Election Commission has “choreographed” the elections.

Reiterating his ‘vote theft’ allegations on Friday, Rahul Gandhi declared that times will change and those responsible for the “scam” will inevitably face punishment.

With inputs from ANI