Chennai: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday claimed that people in Bihar are dissatisfied with the Election Commission (EC) amid allegations of “vote theft.”
Abdullah emphasized that the EC must uphold its core principles of independence and fairness.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “Concerns have arisen regarding the special arrangements created for Bihar, and their usefulness for the ruling alliance will be clear only after the results. This has left the people of Bihar very dissatisfied with the conduct of the Election Commission. We have always taken pride in the EC’s independence and impartiality, and it must remain committed to those ideals.”
The INDIA bloc, led by Congress and Rahul Gandhi, has been vocal about alleged “vote chori” or vote theft. Gandhi claimed widespread electoral fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, especially in Bangalore Central, Karnataka, citing over 1 lakh fake voters. He highlighted methods such as duplicate voters, fake addresses, bulk registrations, invalid photos, and misuse of Form 6.
In response, Congress launched the “Vote Chori” campaign, creating a dedicated website (votechori.in) and a call-in number to push for transparent voter rolls.
The Election Commission dismissed Gandhi’s allegations as “false and misleading,” requesting either a sworn declaration or an apology, noting that voter rolls are already available in PDF format to protect privacy.
Earlier, Congress had claimed to have submitted nearly 89 lakh complaints regarding voter lists in Bihar. However, the state’s Chief Election Officer (CEO) said the party had not followed the proper procedure, which requires objections to be submitted using the prescribed forms.
In an official statement on X, the CEO said, “Presidents of the District Congress Committees of the Indian National Congress recently submitted letters to the District Election Officers in Bihar, requesting the deletion of around 89 lakh names from the electoral rolls.”
The statement clarified that, according to Election Commission rules, deletions can only be made through Rule 13 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, using Form 7. It added, “Booth Level Agents appointed by political parties can file objections in the prescribed format. Such objections, under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, must include a declaration.”
The CEO also noted that the data in the Congress complaint regarding “89 lakh voters” was unverified. Any deletions would require sworn affidavits and proper scrutiny, after which the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will make an appropriate decision.
The statement further referenced the Supreme Court’s interim order of August 22, stating that objections to incorrect entries in electoral rolls must follow the prescribed format and be submitted to the concerned ERO.
Abdullah also reaffirmed that his party, the National Conference, remains part of the INDIA bloc. He acknowledged that while there may be some misunderstanding due to geographical distance and other factors, there is no rift with the alliance. He also thanked the DMK for its continued support on issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
“Who said we left? There may be differences and distance between J&K and this region, but there is no gap between the National Conference and the INDIA bloc. We remain part of the alliance and are grateful to the DMK for supporting issues that matter to us,” Abdullah said.
