Election Commission to Hold Press Meet on August 17, Likely to Address Rahul Gandhi’s Vote Theft Allegations
The Election Commission of India (ECI) will hold its first media briefing following the launch of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar on August 17, 2025, at the National Media Centre in New Delhi. The press conference, scheduled for 3 pm, is expected to address mounting political controversies, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s vehement allegations of large-scale voter manipulation and “vote theft” during the 2024 general elections.
The SIR process in Bihar, initiated nearly four months ahead of the assembly elections, has stirred significant political debate. Opposition parties have raised concerns over the early revision of voter lists, alleging it disproportionately affects marginalized communities and serves as a tool for electoral manipulation.
Over the past week, Rahul Gandhi has intensified his criticism of the ECI, accusing it of deliberately adding fake voters to the rolls in key states such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka to benefit the ruling BJP. Gandhi’s allegations gained particular attention after he claimed that more than 1 lakh fraudulent votes were cast out of 6.5 lakh total votes in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura assembly segment, a crucial constituency under Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat, which the BJP won by a margin of 32,707 votes in 2024.
The Congress has expanded these claims to approximately 70 constituencies where the party narrowly lost by fewer than 50,000 votes, suggesting voter fraud could have influenced results in these areas as well. To highlight these concerns, Rahul Gandhi will launch a 16-day ‘Voter Rights Yatra’ from Sasaram, Bihar, on August 17, culminating in a rally at Patna on September 1. The yatra, covering around 1,300 kilometres, is intended to protest against what the Congress describes as “voter theft” amidst the ongoing SIR process in Bihar. Senior leaders from the RJD and the INDIA bloc are expected to join the march.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has accused the BJP, allegedly in collusion with the Election Commission, of manipulating the voter rolls. He contended that the SIR exercise had been used as a pretext to delete names of voters from marginalized communities, posing a serious threat to democratic rights. Referring to the Supreme Court’s active involvement in the matter, Khera asserted, “This is a fight to protect the right to vote,” underscoring the political implications of voter list changes.
The upcoming ECI press conference is thus set against a backdrop of intense political scrutiny and opposition demands for transparency and accountability. Observers will keenly await the poll body’s response to these contentious issues as Bihar heads towards crucial assembly elections.
