New Delhi, Nov 18 (UNI) Smarting from a crushing defeat in the recent Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress party on Tuesday escalated its offensive against the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the poll body of colluding with the ruling party to institutionalize “vote theft.”
The party launched a high-level review of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 states and union Territories, asserting that the process was being weaponized for “vote chori.” The move comes as the Congress struggles to counter the narrative following its dismal performance in Bihar.
Emerging from a crucial review meeting with senior functionaries, Party President Mallikarjun Kharge issued a sharp statement, laying the blame for potential manipulation squarely at the ECI’s door.
“We firmly believe that the BJP is attempting to weaponize the SIR process for ‘Vote Chori’,” Kharge declared in the official statement. “The Election Commission’s conduct during the SIR process has been deeply disappointing. It must immediately demonstrate that it is not operating under the BJP’s shadow.”
The Congress has consistently raised the ‘vote chori’ allegation since its poor showing in Bihar, which party leaders have openly attributed to alleged manipulation of the electoral process rather than organizational or political failure.
The Special Intensive Revision is a large-scale exercise undertaken by the ECI to ensure the completeness and accuracy of voter lists. The review meeting, attended by All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charges and state unit chiefs, focused on assessing the fairness of the revision in a massive block of states.
The party is concerned about potential widespread disenfranchisement and is instructing its workers to intensify active engagement at the booth level to monitor the revision process. The states and UTs currently under the Congress’s scrutiny include Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep. The Election Commission, on its part, has defended the process, citing a high compliance rate. It has reported that over 95% of the 5.99 crore electors targeted have received enumeration forms as part of the revision drive.
Post-Bihar Debacle: Congress alleges ‘Vote Chori’ as it audits electoral rolls in 12 states
