First time ECI speaking directly: Jairam Ramesh hits back at CEC over PC on "vote theft" claims

New Delhi [India], August 17 (ANI): Criticising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's recent press conference on Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" allegations, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that it is for the first time that "new" ECI was speaking instead of "planted sources".
This comes after CEC Gyanesh Kumar addressed a press conference in New Delhi, countering the recent "vote theft" allegations on ECI and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.
"Today, the Election Commission of India held a press conference. This was the first time this 'new' ECI was speaking directly and not planting through sources," Jairam Ramesh wrote on 'X'.
Referring to the press note released by ECI on August 16, Jairam Ramesh stressed that its main purpose was to place the responsibility of voter list correction on political parties and individuals. He noted that the press note was uniformly criticised by the political parties and the general public.
"Yesterday, the ECI released a press note, the purpose of which was to place the onus of voter list correction on political parties and individuals. This Press Note had also been met with uniform criticism from the opposition parties and widespread criticism from the general public," Ramesh's 'X' post said.
The Congress MP mentioned that Gyanesh Kumar's press briefing has come three days after the Supreme Court rejected ECI's argument to prevent the printing of 65 lakh deleted votes during the Bihar Special Intensive Revision.
"Today's Press Conference also came three days after the Supreme Court had rejected every single one of the arguments made by the ECI to prevent the publication of the 65 lakh deleted voters during the Bihar SIR. Despite the vehement and documented objections of the ECI, the Supreme Court directed the publication, in a searchable format, of these 65 lakh voters with all their details. It had also allowed the use of AADHAR ID's to be proof of voter identity. The ECI had opposed every single one of these instructions of the Supreme Court," the 'X' post read.
Jairam Ramesh said that CEC didn't answer any of the questions asked by Rahul Gandhi "meaningfully". He stated that the ECI began to say that they make no distinction between the ruling and the opposition party after the INDIA bloc launched the Voter Adhikar Yatra from Bihar's Sasaram on Sunday.
"Today, a short while after Shri. Rahul Gandhi launched the INDIA janbandhan's Voter Adhikar Yatra from Sasaram, the CEC and his two ECs began by saying they make no distinction between the ruling party and the opposition. This is laughable, to put it very mildly, in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary. Notably, the CEC answered none of the pointed questions raised by Shri. Rahul Gandhi meaningfully," the Congress MP wrote on 'X'.
He further asked the ECI whether the electoral body will implement the Supreme Court's order from August 14, stating that the nation is waiting for the answer.
"All that matters now is simply this: will the ECI implement, in letter and spirit, the Supreme Court's orders of August 14th, 2025, on the Bihar SIR process? It is constitutionally bound to do so. The nation is waiting and watching," he said.
Jairam Ramesh also countered the CEC's demand for an apology or an affidavit from Rahul Gandhi, stating that his allegations were truly based on the data given by the ECI.
"As far as the CEC's threats to Rahul Gandhi are concerned, all that needs to be said is that the LoP in the Lok Sabha had simply stated facts revealed by the ECI's own data. The ECI stands thoroughly exposed not only for its incompetence but also for its blatant partisanship," the 'X' post said.

Refuting the opposition's claims of "vote theft" through the SIR of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, the CEC on Sunday said neither the ECI nor the voters are "afraid" of such "false" allegations.
It was the first press conference conducted by the Constitutional body following the SIR of the electoral rolls in Bihar. Opposition leaders had raised allegations of "vote theft" during the SIR exercise in Bihar and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Gyanesh Kumar mentioned that many voters had complained of double voting in the past few days, but didn't give any proof when asked for it.
"Some voters alleged double voting. When asked for proof, no answer was given. Neither the Election Commission nor any voter is afraid of such false allegations," CEC Kumar told reporters.
CEC affirmed that the Election Commission "stood like a rock" with every section of society without any discrimination.
"When politics is being done by targeting the voters of India by keeping a gun on the shoulder of the Election Commission, today the Election Commission wants to make it clear to everyone that it fearlessly stood like a rock with all the voters of all sections and all religions including the poor, rich, elderly, women, youth without any discrimination," the CEC said. (ANI)