Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has refused to sign a sworn declaration supporting his “vote theft” allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI), despite repeated requests from the poll body.

Speaking after his release from Delhi Police detention during the INDIA bloc’s protest march to the EC headquarters, Gandhi insisted that his claims were based on the Election Commission’s own data. “Why should I sign an oath? This is their data, not mine. They can get it from their own website. They are just trying to divert attention,” he said, adding that the alleged irregularities were not limited to Bengaluru but occurred in multiple constituencies.

The Congress MP accused the ECI of avoiding accountability, noting that “300 MPs” were denied a meeting to submit documents on voter list discrepancies. “This fight is no longer political; it is for the Constitution and for One Man, One Vote. In Karnataka, it was Multiple Man, Multiple Vote,” he said.

The Election Commission has again urged Gandhi to either provide a signed statement substantiating his claims or apologise to the nation.

On August 7, Gandhi alleged that Congress’s internal analysis predicted 16 Lok Sabha seats for the party in Karnataka during the 2024 elections, but it secured only nine. Investigating seven unexpected losses, he cited Mahadevapura constituency as an example, claiming “vote theft” involving 100,250 ballots through duplicate entries, fake addresses, and bulk voter registrations at single locations.

“It will be very difficult for the Election Commission to hide now,” he said, vowing to continue pressing for electoral transparency.

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