Should EC let dead people be in poll rolls, asks CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday defended the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls, questioning whether the Election Commission should allow deceased persons, permanent migrants and duplicate voters to remain registered amid opposition allegations that the exercise would disenfranchise crores of legitimate voters.

- Vrinda Tulsian

Kumar's defence came as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi escalated his attack on the poll panel, claiming his party possessed definitive proof of electoral fraud in Karnataka and threatening consequences for election officials.

Speaking in Parliament premises, Gandhi declared: “Not 90 per cent, when we decide to show it to you, it is a 100 per cent proof.” He alleged the Congress had discovered thousands of unauthorised voter entries for people aged 50, 60 and 65 in a single Karnataka constituency, alongside deletions of legitimate voters above 18.

“We just looked at one constituency and we found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency this is the drama that is taking place,” Gandhi said, claiming similar manipulation was occurring during Bihar's SIR exercise.