Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Leaders of the INDIA alliance on Monday held a joint press conference at the Constitution Club of India, terming the Chief Election Commissioner’s (CEC) briefing misleading and accusing the Election Commission of attempting to divert public attention. The opposition also demanded the immediate dissolution of the Lok Sabha, alleging large-scale irregularities in voter lists.
Opposition Challenges Voter List Revision
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticised the Election Commission for failing to address Rahul Gandhi’s concerns during its Sunday press conference. He said the Supreme Court had already dismissed the EC’s arguments on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s voter list, questioning why the process was being rushed. Gogoi further alleged that voter lists in Maharashtra and Karnataka showed deliberate irregularities, while officials ignored repeated complaints.
Mahua Moitra Calls for Strong Action
TMC MP Mahua Moitra went a step further, demanding the dissolution of the Lok Sabha and accountability for former election commissioners over alleged fake voter lists. She questioned how deceased individuals appeared on draft rolls while legitimate voters were deleted, blaming block-level officers for forging entries. Moitra stressed that the CEC’s role was to address valid opposition queries, not to target them.
Unified Opposition Questions EC’s Credibility
RJD’s Manoj Jha claimed the EC’s briefing was deliberately timed to overshadow Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav’s rally in Bihar. SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav rejected the commission’s assertion that the opposition had not submitted affidavits, pointing out that Samajwadi Party had filed detailed affidavits in 2018 and again in 2022 when 18,000 names were allegedly struck off.
CEC Warns Rahul Gandhi
On Sunday, CEC Gyanesh Kumar had countered Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, demanding he either provide a sworn affidavit within seven days or apologise publicly. The CEC said failure to comply would prove Gandhi’s charges baseless, a statement that drew strong backlash from the INDIA bloc leaders.
