In a series of press conferences, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has alleged large-scale “vote chori” in elections, accusing the Election Commission of enabling voter fraud by allowing inflated, duplicate, bogus entries and targeted deletions in electoral rolls. The alleged manipulations are large enough to impact the electoral outcome. The Election Commission’s response has ranged from rejecting the contentions as baseless to demanding that the allegations be submitted on affidavit. We discuss the significance of the allegations of voter fraud and the ECI’s reluctance to inquire into the matter.

The ECI has refused to publicly disclose searchable voter lists and CCTV footage from polling stations, which are essential for verifying irregularities, claiming that these will undermine the privacy of voters. In December 2024, following an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to provide copies of Form 17C (which contains voter turnout) and CCTV footage, the Election Commission and the Central government brought an amendment to Rule 93(2) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, to restrict public access to election-related records. These issues raise serious questions of whether the ECI is evading accountability by withholding crucial information and its impact on public trust. Transparency is key to ensure public trust in the electoral process.

In March 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that in order to ensure the independence of the ECI, the appointment must be done by a balanced selection committee without undue influence of the executive. Therefore, the SC directed that a committee consisting of PM, Leader of Opposition, and Chief Justice of India make appointments of the Chief and Election Commissioners till an appropriate law is passed by Parliament. We discuss the impact of the law brought by the government to remove the CJI from this committee and replace him with a cabinet minister, giving control to the executive over the appointment process. The key issues regarding the Special Intensive Revision now being undertaken across the country, even as the Supreme Court is yet to decide its constitutionality, are also discussed.

Prashant Bhushan, Supreme Court lawyer, joins transparency activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri on this edition of Jaanne Bhi Do Yaaro.

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