Mangaluru: Election Commission must answer vote rigging charges - Ramanath Rai

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 12, 2025: Former minister Ramanath Rai has said that it is the Election Commission’s responsibility to respond to questions raised by Rahul Gandhi, who, as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has exposed alleged lapses by the Commission.

Speaking at a press conference at the Dakshina Kannada District Congress office, Rai said that in a democracy, it is the duty of the Opposition to question mistakes by constitutional bodies. Rahul Gandhi has done this, and he supports him in the matter.

Rai noted that Gandhi’s questions on transparency in the electoral process, and the irregularities he has exposed in the voters’ list, are a matter of public debate. The Election Commission should respond, but instead the BJP is answering on its behalf. The reply by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, he said, amounts to admitting and defending the Commission’s lapses, which is a serious issue.

Gandhi’s initiative to clean up the electoral rolls must be supported, Rai said, adding that as demanded, the Election Commission should provide the past 10 years’ video and soft copies of the voter lists. Rahul Gandhi had raised similar concerns during elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, but those responsible remained silent. Now, with Bihar elections approaching, such questions have been raised again. Accepting Gandhi’s intellectual merit, Rai stressed that making the electoral process transparent requires collective effort to end vote theft.

Congress leaders Shashidhar Hegde, Naveen D’Souza, Ibrahim Nawaz, R.K. Prithviraj, B.M. Abbas Ali, Suhan Alva, Jayashil Adyantaya, Ashok D.K., Prem Ballal Bagg, Shabeer S., Yashwanth Prabhu, and Fayaz Amemar were present.