Karnataka election chief asks Rahul to share proof for double voting claim

Karnataka and Haryana CEOs have asked Rahul to provide documents supporting his vote theft allegations or apologise. The Election Commission demands proof for claims in multiple states or retraction

The Karnataka chief electoral officer on Sunday issued a notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him to share documents based on which he had alleged that a woman voted twice.

Soon after the notice was issued to the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Election Commission once again asked him to either sign a declaration to substantiate his allegations of vote theft in Karnataka, Haryana and Maharashtra or apologise to the nation for making "absurd" allegations.

Karnataka's top poll officer told Gandhi that the documents will help his office carry out a detailed inquiry.

Gandhi had shown the documents at a press conference in the national capital last week.

"You have also stated that as per the records given by the polling officer, Smt Shakun Rani had voted twice... On inquiry, Smt Sakun Rani has stated that she has voted only once and not twice, as alleged by you," the notice read.

A preliminary inquiry conducted by the CEO's office also revealed that the tick-marked document shown by the Congress leader in the presentation was not issued by the polling officer, the letter said.

"Therefore, you are kindly requested to provide the relevant documents on the basis of which you have concluded that Smt Shakun Rani or anyone else has voted twice, so that a detailed inquiry can be undertaken by this office," the notice stated.

Responding to the notice issued by its CEO, the EC said, "Rahul Gandhi still has time to give a declaration on the first letter of CEO Karnataka or apologise to the country.

Haryana CEO has also asked Rahul Gandhi to prove electoral roll anomalies claims. 

Haryana chief electoral officer (CEO) has asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to furnish documents within 10 days in support of his claims about anomalies in electoral rolls in the 2024 State assembly polls.

 

The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha on Thursday claimed that the difference between winning and losing the Haryana elections for the Congress was 22,779 votes in the entire state.

 

"This is to draw your kind attention to this office communication dated August 9, 2025, referring to the statements made by you during the press conference held on August 7, 2025, pertaining to the alleged inclusion of ineligible electors and exclusion of eligible electors in the electoral rolls of Haryana," stated the Haryana CEO's communication to Gandhi on Sunday.

 

Gandhi has been asked to furnish the particulars of the electors concerned, along with the "duly signed declaration/oath under Rule 20 (3) (b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

 

He has been asked to send the signed declaration/oath to the CEO's office within 10 days, "so that necessary proceedings may be initiated in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of the Electoral Rules, 1960".

 

Gandhi had on Thursday cited data from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to also claim over 1 lakh votes were "stolen" through five types of manipulations in an assembly segment in Karnataka.

 

With Congress leaders amplifying the "vote theft" allegation of Rahul Gandhi, Election Commission officials on Saturday once again pressed the Leader of the Opposition to either sign a declaration to support his claims or apologise to the country for making "fake" charges.