Vote chori anti-national act, EC colluding with BJP: Rahul

When in govt, Cong rewarded those at the helm of poll body, says BJP

- ARCHIS MOHAN

In his intervention in the Lok Sabha on the debate on ‘electoral reforms’, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the Election Commission of India of colluding with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to perpetrate the “biggest anti-national act” of resorting to “vote theft”, which is destroying the idea of modern democratic India.

‘The Lok Sabha on Tuesday took up the discussion on ‘electoral reforms’, with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fielding speakers from its allies, such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United), who accused the opposition of maintaining “double standards” on the issue of alleged “vote theft”. They said the opposition rakes up the issue of the tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) only after their electoral defeats.

BJP’s Nishikant Dubey, speaking immediately after Rahul Gandhi concluded his speech, said the EVMs were introduced in the country by his father, late Rajiv Gandhi, during a pilot project in 1987. He alleged that the Congress, when in government, has rewarded those who were at the helm of affairs at the poll body. “The country's first chief election commissioner, Sukumar Sen, was appointed as Sudan's governor. V S Ramadevi (also a CEC) was later appointed as Himachal Pradesh's governor. TN Seshan was made a poll