Top 30 takeaways from CEC Gyanesh Kumar's press conference on Bihar SIR row

New Delhi: Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for his 'vote theft' charges against the Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday served a seven-day ultimatum on the Congress leader to submit a signed affidavit to back his claims, else his allegations will be considered baseless and invalid.

In his first press conference after Gandhi levelled allegations of 'vote chori' in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and several opposition leaders flagged issues about revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, a combative Kumar asked Gandhi to either apologise or back his claims with a signed affidavit as required under electoral rules.

Here are key takeaways from CEC's press conference:

1. Every citizen of India who has completed 18 years of age should enrol as voter and exercise your franchise.
2. EC can't discriminate among political parties; ruling and opposition parties equal before poll authority.
3. 28,370 individuals have submitted claims and objections over draft electoral rolls in Bihar.
4. Special Intensive Revision of Bihar electoral rolls aimed at removing all shortcoming in voters list.
5. EC's doors are open to everyone, booth level officers and agents working together in transparent manner.
6. EC exhorts all political parties to file claims, objections on draft electoral rolls in Bihar; 15 days still remaining.
7. It is a matter of grave concern that some parties and their leaders are spreading misinformation on SIR in Bihar.
8. It is insult to Indian Constitution if election petition is not filed within 45 days but allegations of 'vote chori' are raised.
9. SC said in 2019 itself sharing of machine readable voter lists can breach voters' privacy.
10. Few days back several voters' photos were made public without their permission; should EC make public photos of voters.
11. More than one crore employees engaged in election exercise, can 'vote chori' happen in such transparent process.
12. Neither EC nor voters scared of baseless allegations of double voting and 'vote chori'.
13. EC will remain steadfast with voters of all classes without bothering about politics being played by some.
14. Why raise allegations of voter chori after all due process of polls was followed, and no election petitions were filed.
15. So far, more than 10 SIRs have been held in the country to purify voter lists.
16. Latest SIR became necessary in wake of complaints by many parties, migration of voters within country.
17. Knowingly, unknowingly some people ended up having multiple voter cards due to migration, other issues; SIR to rectify this.
18. Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, other states to be announced in due course.
19. EC corrected over three lakh instances of multiple voters having same voter identity card numbers recently.
20. It is a myth that SIR has been carried out in haste, it is EC's legal duty to correct voter lists before every election.
21. EC has followed SC directions, made available searchable voter list on websites of district-level poll officials within 56 hours.
22. EC's mantra is to include all eligible voters and remove all ineligible voters from electoral rolls.
23. If anyone wishes to file a complaint without being a voter of that constituency, it can be done only as witness under oath.
24. 22 lakh 'dead voters' in Bihar did not die in past 6 months but over past several years. However, it was not put in records.
25. Shared responsibility of EC, voters and political parties to correct voter list, same happening in case of Bihar SIR.
26. Urge all recognised political parties to flag discrepancies in voter list in Bihar before September 1, not after that.
27. House number zero doesn't mean fake voters; there are many who do not have a house number.
28. Should EC issue notice to 1.5 lakh voters without declaration under oath by the complainant?
29. No elector's name will be removed from voter list without any proof; EC standing like a rock with every elector.
30. If no declaration under oath given within 7 days, claims will be considered baseless, invalid.