PATNA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified his criticism of the Election Commission (EC) on Monday, accusing it of orchestrating "vote theft" and issuing a stern warning to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. 

Speaking during the second day of the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' which began in Sasaram on Sunday and then moved to Aurangabad before reaching Gaya Ji on Monday, Gandhi claimed that the EC's actions amount to an attack on the Constitution and vowed accountability when the opposition INDIA bloc forms the government.

Addressing supporters in Aurangabad and Gaya alongside allies like RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, CPI (ML) Liberation's Dipankar Bhattacharya, and Vikassheel Insan Party's Mukesh Sahani, Gandhi accused the EC of introducing a "Special Intensive Revision" (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar as a new mechanism for manipulating votes. "This is a new form of vote theft," he declared at Khalees Park Chowk in Gaya, alleging similar irregularities in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Karnataka, where he claimed one lakh votes were stolen in a single assembly segment.

Gandhi's remarks come in response to CEC Kumar's ultimatum on Sunday, demanding a signed affidavit within seven days to substantiate the vote theft allegations, failing which they would be deemed baseless. Gandhi countered, "The whole country will ask the EC for an affidavit. Give us time, and we will expose your theft in every assembly and Lok Sabha seat." He accused the commissioners of aligning with the BJP, echoing Yadav's claim that they have "taken BJP membership."

During the yatra, Gandhi met voters whose names were mysteriously removed from electoral rolls despite participating in previous elections. Holding up a copy of the Constitution, he called it the "soul of India," crafted by luminaries like B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, and accused the EC of undermining it. "When they steal votes, they attack Bharat Mata," he said, vowing to protect the principle of "one person, one vote."

Gandhi criticized the EC for dismissing his allegations without investigation and concluded with a direct warning to the EC, he said, "A day will come when the INDIA bloc governs in Bihar and Delhi, and we will take action against you." He urged the commissioners to fulfill their duties impartially, warning of "strict action" if they fail to do so.