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‘Stop conducting, start contesting elections’: Kanhaiya Kumar's jibe at poll body

Kanhaiya Kumar questioned the motive behind the Special Intensive Revision, saying the EC had maintained that there are no issues in the electoral rolls.

Updated on: Aug 17, 2025, 17:06:39 IST
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Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Sunday hit out at the Election Commission over the alleged voter list discrepancies made by Rahul Gandhi, saying the poll body should "stop conducting" and "start contesting" elections.

All India Congress Committee Incharge, NSUI, Kanhaiya Kumar addresses a press conference after the meeting of AICC General Secretaries, In-charges, and Frontal Heads, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (AICC/ANI Photo) (AICC)
All India Congress Committee Incharge, NSUI, Kanhaiya Kumar addresses a press conference after the meeting of AICC General Secretaries, In-charges, and Frontal Heads, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (AICC/ANI Photo) (AICC)

"When opposition leader Rahul Gandhi is saying that there are discrepancies and you should investigate... then they said that SIR has been done to prevent discrepancies... Now, today, the Election Commission is suddenly holding a press conference. The Election Commission should stop conducting and start contesting elections themselves," Kumar told ANI.

Kanhaiya also questioned the motive behind the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, saying the EC had earlier said that there is no issue in the electoral rolls.

Also Read: 'Will not let them steal...:' Rahul Gandhi vows to expose 'vote chori' in Bihar's Sasaram

"When your intentions are not good, no matter how much you try to hide the truth, it will come out. The Election Commission had been saying for many months that there is no issue in the electoral rolls, and when the LoP, Rahul Gandhi, started exposing them, the Election Commission started the SIR exercise. We want the electoral rolls to be sanitised," he said.

The remark from the Congress leader comes as the Election Commission on Sunday held a press conference in New Delhi amid the "vote choti" allegations made by some opposition parties.

During the conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gynaesh Kumar said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is aimed at removing all shortcomings in voters lists and it is a matter of grave concern that some parties are spreading misinformation about it.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in Bihar's Sasaram, vowed to expose any theft of votes, whether in Maharashtra, Bihar, or elsewhere in the future.

Also Read: ‘You have called my voters a liar?’: CEC on opposition's ‘vote chori’ allegations

"The entire country knows what the Election Commission is doing. Earlier, the country did not know how votes were being stolen. But we made it clear in the press conference how votes are being stolen. Whenever the theft is happening, whether in Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam, Bengal, we will catch the theft and work to show the people," Gandhi said.

The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha called the Bihar's SIR a "conspiracy" by the Election Commission.

"I am telling you from this stage that Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections are being stolen in the entire country. Their latest conspiracy is to conduct SIR in Bihar and steal the Bihar elections as well by cutting the new votes and adding fake ones. All of us have come to this stage to tell you that we will not let them steal this election," Rahul Gadhi said.

  • Majid Alam
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Majid Alam

    Majid Alam is a Chief Content Producer working at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. He currently heads shifts at online desk and manages homepage apart from writing, editing and curating articles. With over six years of experience in journalism, Majid has navigated national, politics and international news. His work primarily focuses on the politics of the Hindi heartland, government policies, and South Asia. He also writes on US and Europe’s policies vis-à-vis India. Before joining Hindustan Times, Majid worked at ABP LIVE as the Chief Copy Editor and at News18, where he managed the World and Explainers sections. His articles have featured in Dialogue Earth, The Quint, BMJ, The Diplomat, and Outlook India. Majid has a keen interest in the use of data for storytelling. Majid holds a Masters in Convergent Journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia. He was awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship to study International Affairs at Sciences Po, Paris in 2020. He is also part of the OCEANS Network, an alumni network of Erasmus+ exchange scholars. He is currently serving as the National Representative (India) at the OCEANS Network. Apart from journalism, Majid has a flair for academic writing and loves to teach. He has published a book chapter: 'Bombay Cinema and Postmodernism' in the book: 'Handbook of Research on Social and Cultural Dynamics in Indian Cinema.' He was also part of the OCEANS Network delegation to Hanoi National University of Education in Vietnam in 2025. He has also given guest lecture in digital journalism at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia.Read More

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