Gyanesh Kumar must answer how EC allowed vote theft, says Priyanka

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said every step of the poll process arouses suspicion and asserted that the chief election commissioner and the two election commissioners must answer how they "conspired" to take away people's voting rights.

Addressing the party's 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' mega rally at Ramlila grounds here, Priyanka Gandhi said Indians must rise when the country's institutions are being crushed.

She named Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, and said the BJP will not be able to save them, as one day they will be forced to answer for "conspiring" to take away people's vote.

"I challenge the BJP to contest polls on the ballot paper. They know they will never win," the Congress general secretary said.

"You should not lose heart over losing Bihar, the entire country knows BJP wins through 'vote chori'," she said.

The party leader said the Election Commission turned a blind eye to Rs 10,000 paid to each woman in Bihar during the Model Code of Conduct. "If this is not 'vote chori', then what is?"  She said elections are not being conducted fairly, and every step of the poll process arouses suspicion.

All institutions in the country are being made to bend before the government, she said, attacking the Narendra Modi-led Centre.