Rahul Gandhi in Boston: Election Commission is 'compromised'

Boston: Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP)  in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleged that the Election Commission in India was “compromised” and claimed that there was something fundamentally wrong with the system.

Speaking at a meeting in Boston while addressing the Indian diaspora, Gandhi cited the Maharashtra elections as an example of irregularities. He claimed that 65 lakh voters were added to the voter list within just two hours, calling it impossible.

“More people voted in Maharashtra than the total number of people in Maharashtra, and this is a fact... the Election Commission gave us a figure in the evening around 5:30 pm, and in two hours around 7:30 pm, 65 lakh voters had voted, which is physically impossible...” he said.

“It’s very clear to us that the Election Commission is compromised, there is something very wrong with the system...” he added.

EC sources deny allegations

In response, sources in the Election Commission stated that the allegations made by political parties regarding manipulated electoral rolls were unfounded. According to these sources, there were hardly any first or second appeals made under Section 24 of the Representation of People Act, or for correction of entries (Section 22) or inclusion (Section 23) during the recent Special Summary Revision (SSR) published in early January 2025.

The SSR process includes reviewing the voter list and publishing a draft roll, typically ahead of elections. Its objective is to ensure a fair and transparent voting system by adding newly eligible voters and removing duplicates or deceased individuals.

According to EC sources, only 89 appeals were filed in Maharashtra. Despite 13,857,359 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) across the country, just 89 appeals were recorded. The sources therefore stated that the Electoral Rolls published after the January 2025 SSR must be accepted as undisputed.

Talks on India–US partnership

During his address, Gandhi also spoke about India’s relationship with the United States, expressing hope that the two nations would continue their partnership.

“We have a partnership with the US, and hopefully we will continue to work together,” he said.

He went on to thank the audience for promoting the values and ideologies of the Congress party abroad.

“You believe, you listen to other people, and you respect them. This is what runs in the Congress party and in our family... Thank you for carrying the flag here, it’s a very powerful thing to do...” he said.

As part of his tour of the United States, the Leader of Opposition is also scheduled to speak at Brown University on Monday.

ANI