New Delhi: On Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi must provide a sworn declaration within a week regarding his allegations of discrepancies in the voter list. Failing to do so would render his claims of 'vote theft' invalid.

During a press briefing, the CEC emphasized that individuals wishing to lodge complaints without being voters in the relevant constituency must do so under oath as witnesses.

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had previously accused the electoral process of 'vote chori' during a presentation on July 31, asserting that over 100,000 votes were 'stolen' in the Mahadevapura assembly segment of Karnataka due to various manipulations, including duplicate voters and invalid addresses. He also pointed to similar issues in other states.

Despite requests from chief electoral officers in multiple states for Gandhi to submit an affidavit supporting his claims, he has declined to comply.

In response to inquiries about Gandhi's allegations, CEC Kumar remarked, 'Should the Election Commission issue notices to 150,000 voters without a sworn declaration from the complainant?' He further stated that if no declaration is provided within the specified seven days, the allegations would be deemed baseless and invalid, urging those making unfounded claims to apologize to the public.

Kumar humorously noted that the sun rises in the east, regardless of claims to the contrary, reinforcing that neither the Election Commission nor the voters are intimidated by allegations of double voting and 'vote chori'.

Meanwhile, Gandhi reiterated his concerns regarding the Election Commission's handling of his allegations. Speaking at the launch of his 1,300 km 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Sasaram, Bihar, he pointed out that while he was asked to submit an affidavit following his press conference, no such requirement was imposed on BJP leaders who made similar claims.

This Yatra is part of the opposition INDIA bloc's intensified campaign against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and the allegations of 'vote chori' raised by the Congress party.