The Election Commission challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday and demanded proof for the "voted twice" charge he levelled during the recent press conference against the poll body. The Commission called Gandhi's online petition for a digital voter list "misleading" and said parties are already provided with digital copies of electoral rolls.
The Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka issued a notice to Gandhi on Sunday and asked him to provide proof for the double-voting charge he levelled against a voter named Shakun Rani.
"You have stated that the documents shown in your presentation are from the records of the Election Commission of India. You have said: 'This is EC data'. You have also stated that as per the records given by the polling officer, Smt Shakun Rani has voted twice. You have said: 'Es ID card per do baar vote lagahai, wo jo tick hai, polling booth ke officer kihai'," it said.
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The poll body said on inquiry, it was proved that Shakun Rani had voted only once. "Preliminary enquiry conducted by this office also reveals that the tick-marked document shown by you in the presentation is not a document issued by the polling officer," the Commission charged.
The Karnataka CEO asked the Opposition leader to provide the documents so that it could initiate an inquiry.
The poll body also called his 'vote chori' charge and online petition for a digital voter list "misleading". "Under the Registration of Electors Rules 1960, every recognised political party is also provided both, digital as well physical copies of the draft and final electoral rolls. Before every election, digital as well physical copies of the draft and the final electoral rolls are always shared with all political parties under their signatures, including INC," the Commission said.