Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 10 : Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday came out in support of Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's allegations against the Election Commission (EC), stating that the entire world is witnessing the EC's failure to conduct free and fair elections in India.
Thackeray accused the EC of threatening opposition leaders and urged the commission to respond to Gandhi's questions. Thackeray slammed the EC for allegedly demolishing the free and fair election process in India, echoing Rahul Gandhi's concerns.
Thackeray questioned the EC's stance on feeling superior to the Supreme Court, particularly regarding the submission of names of individuals deleted from Bihar's voter list. Thackeray urged the EC to engage in an open debate with Rahul Gandhi, rather than issuing rebuttals.
"The entire world is watching how the Election Commission has demolished the free and fair elections in India. It is shameful the way the Election Commission is trying to threaten the leaders of the opposition. The Election Commission should come clean and answer Rahul Gandhi's questions. The EC feels above the Supreme Court. In the SC, they have also stated that they won't submit the names of individuals who have been deleted from Bihar. Do they not have the right to vote?" Aaditya Thackeray told reporters.
On August 7, Rahul Gandhi held a press conference, citing internal analysis. The LoP stated that the Congress expected to win 16 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka but ended up with only nine.
He said the Congress investigated seven unexpected losses, zeroing in on Mahadevapura, where he alleged vote theft involving 100,250 votes. Presenting Congress's research on voting in the Mahadevapura Assembly in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi alleged "vote chori" (vote theft) of 100,250 votes.
"We found 100,250 votes stolen in five different ways. Duplicate voters, fake and invalid addresses, and bulk voters in a single address, in a building with 50-60 people living. But when we go there, there is no record of those people living there. One family living in that house," he said.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday has again asked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to either give a declaration as per the rules or apologise to the country for his "false" allegations regarding the voter lists."Rahul Gandhi should either provide a Declaration as per rules or apologise to the country for his false allegations," ECI said in a statement.