'Ignore baseless allegations': EC on Rahul Gandhi's 'vote theft' remarks

Rahul Gandhi had claimed to have ‘open and shut’ evidence of alleged poll irregularities by the EC and said that it would have no place to hide

The Election Commission on Friday (August 1, 2025) termed as "baseless" the allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that the poll authority was indulging in "vote theft" for BJP and asked its officials to ignore such "irresponsible" remarks.

Continuing his campaign against the Election Commission, Mr. Gandhi had claimed to have "open and shut" evidence of alleged poll irregularities by the poll authority and said that it would have no place to hide.

"The Election Commission ignores such baseless allegations being made on a daily basis, and despite the daily threats being given, asks all election officials to ignore such irresponsible statements and work in a fair and transparent manner," the EC said in response to the comments made by Mr. Gandhi.

The EC further said that the agency sent an email and letter on June 12 to Mr. Gandhi asking him to come, but the latter does not respond. ⁠”He has never sent any letter to ECI on any issue, whatsoever. It is very strange that he is making wild allegations and has now even started threatening EC and its staff. Deplorable, the EC said in its response to the allegations.

Mr. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, likened the evidence that his party has on alleged poll irregularities to an "atom bomb", and said that when it explodes the Election Commission will have no place to hide in the country.

Mr. Gandhi said his party had suspicions of poll irregularities in Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls in 2023, then in the Lok Sabha polls and then the Maharashtra Assembly polls.