National movement needed to demand probe into EC’s functioning: Gaurav Gogoi

In a sharp escalation of political rhetoric, deputy leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday, 6 November, called for a “national movement” demanding a thorough inquiry into the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), following explosive allegations of electoral malfeasance raised by party chief Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi had on Wednesday claimed that the 2024 Haryana assembly elections were effectively “stolen”, citing data from electoral rolls to allege that 25 lakh fake entries had been introduced. He accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to tilt the scales in its favour.

Gogoi said the commission’s inaction on the matter was akin to an admission of guilt, describing it as a “feeble attempt to cover up a grave injustice against the people of India”. He urged citizens and political stakeholders alike to rise in unison, demanding a comprehensive inquiry and reform of the country’s premier electoral body, which he described as the backbone of India’s democracy.

The allegations include startling claims of irregularities in the Rai Assembly constituency, where, according to Rahul Gandhi, a Brazilian woman’s photograph was used 22 times across 10 polling booths, under various names including “Seema”, “Sweety”, and “Saraswati”.

The BJP, however, dismissed the allegations as “false and baseless”, accusing Congress leaders of attempting to undermine the credibility of the Election Commission to mask their own failures and tarnish the nation’s democratic institutions.

As the political storm gathers, the debate over electoral integrity has intensified, with Congress leaders painting a picture of a deeply flawed system and the ruling party defending the sanctity of the vote. The calls for a national movement highlight the growing tension over the trustworthiness of India’s electoral machinery and raise urgent questions about accountability and transparency in the world’s largest democracy.

With PTI inputs