The Election Commission held a press conference on Sunday, August 17th, to address accusations made by the opposition, clarifying how ground realities are being overlooked. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar emphasized that the Election Commission’s doors are always open to everyone equally. He stated that at the ground level, all voters, political parties, and booth-level officers are working transparently, conducting verifications, signing documents, and providing video testimonials. The Election Commissioner expressed concern that these verified documents and testimonials from district presidents of political parties and their designated BLOs (Booth Level Officers) are either not reaching their state or national-level leaders, or are being used to spread misinformation by ignoring the ground realities.
The commission also refuted allegations of vote theft made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Gyanesh Kumar asserted that all political parties are treated equally by the Election Commission, which does not discriminate against anyone. He explained that every political party is born through registration with the Election Commission, so the commission cannot discriminate. For the Election Commission, there is no ruling party or opposition; all are equal. The commission also affirmed that it will not shy away from its duties, noting that all parties have requested improvements in the voter list. It stated that the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) in Bihar was conducted due to these demands. The commission noted that there are still 15 days left for name corrections in Bihar and that political parties should provide the commission with information about any discrepancies in the voter list.
