After Rahul Gandhi attack, ECI says India’s election process is well received worldwide

Election Commission logo outside the Nirvachan Sadan building in New Delhi on February 6, 2025. Image source: RV Moorthy

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the Election Commission of India (ECI) during his visit to the United States, and the polling agency said on Tuesday (April 22, 2025) that anyone would spread any misunderstanding about the Indian election, not only a sign of disrespect for the law, but also to the thousands who belong to the elected persons who belong to their own political parties.

This also reduces the hundreds of thousands of electoral personnel who work unmoving and transparently during the election, senior ECI officials said.

ECI officials said all Indian elections were held in accordance with the law and the scale and accuracy of the elections held in India were widely praised worldwide. “The whole country is aware that every election process, including preparations for election volumes, polls and counts, is held by government staff and, in the case of formal appointments of authorized representatives and candidates formally appointed by political parties, from the polling stations to the constituency level,” the official said.

“It is totally ridiculous to try to pass the judgment of the Election Commission that said it was damaged after any adverse judgment by the voters.”

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Refute Congressional claims

The ECI’s reaction came the day after Mr Gandhi claimed “compromised” in the United States, again citing the “unusual” voter turnout in the last two hours of voter elections during the Maharashtra Parliamentary Election. Congress has repeatedly raised the differences allegedly encountered with the ECI on Maharashtra issue, and opposition leaders have also raised the issue in Parliament.

Sources on the committee reiterated their point-by-point rebuttals sent to Congress on December 24 last year. “It seems that all these facts are completely ignored while raising such questions again and again,” the source added.

“Late voting does not surge”

The polling agency clarified that during the Maharashtra parliamentary elections, 6,40,87,588 electors arrived at the polling station between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. and they voted. Average votes are conducted on about 5.8 million votes per hour. From these average trends, nearly 116 million voters could have voted in the past two hours. Therefore, the 6.5 million votes allegedly voted in the past two hours are actually below the hourly average.

In addition, in each poll booth, voting progressed in front of a candidate or a voting agent formally appointed by a party. “The candidate nominated by Congress or its authorized agent made any confirmation charges against any form of abnormal vote when the next day is under review,” the source said.

“No complaints before the poll”

ECI added that under the People’s Act of 1950 and the 1960 electoral registration, the ECI has added that the election volume in India, including in Maharashtra. By law, a special brief revision of the election volume is made on the voter list, as well as a final copy of the voter list.

Before the Maharashtra election, after these elections were finalized, 89 appeals were filed in the first appeal authority and only 89 of the 9,77,90,752 electors. Appeals were filed only in the second appeal authority. Therefore, ECI sources said it is clear that Congress or any other party has no complaints before the election.

In the revised election volume, there are 1,00,427 polling stations, and 97,325 stall-level officials appointed by returning officials, including 1,03,727 stall-level agents appointed by all political parties, including 27,099 Congress. ECI sources say the unconfirmed allegations made in Maharashtra election volumes are offensive to the rule of law.