Sun Aug 17 17:05:12 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and rewrite of the text as a news article:
**Summary:**
The Election Commission of India (ECI), led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, is demanding that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi provide an affidavit to support his claims of voter roll manipulation in a Karnataka Assembly constituency. The ECI is also rejecting opposition demands for a machine-readable voter list and CCTV footage access, citing voter privacy concerns. Kumar has given Gandhi a seven-day ultimatum to provide the affidavit or apologize. The CEC also addressed questions regarding similar allegations made by a BJP MP and complaints filed by other political parties, stating that proper procedures (like filing complaints under oath and within the 45-day limit) weren’t followed in those cases. The CEC defended the integrity of the 2024 election and dismissed the allegations as baseless, emphasizing the transparency of the process and the large number of employees involved.
**News Article:**
**ECI Demands Affidavit from Rahul Gandhi on Voter Roll Claims, Dismisses Opposition Concerns**
**NEW DELHI, August 17, 2025** – The Election Commission of India (ECI) is escalating its confrontation with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of voter roll irregularities in a Karnataka Assembly constituency. In his first press conference since assuming office, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar demanded that Gandhi submit a sworn affidavit within seven days to substantiate his claims of manipulation in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment. Failing that, Kumar stated, Gandhi should apologize to the nation.
“You have to give an affidavit or apologize to the nation. If within seven days affidavit is not given, then it means allegations are wrong,” Kumar said, addressing the media at the National Media Centre.
Gandhi’s allegations, made ten days ago, centered on discrepancies in the voter rolls of the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency. The ECI has requested the affidavit from Gandhi through the Chief Electoral Officers of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana, a request he has so far refused.
The ECI also rejected demands from the Opposition for a machine-readable voter list and access to CCTV footage from polling stations, citing concerns over voter privacy.
The CEC notably did not address why similar allegations made by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, concerning voter roll discrepancies in Rahul Gandhi’s constituency of Rae Bareli, have not been subjected to the same demand for an affidavit.
Kumar also addressed questions regarding complaints filed by the Biju Janata Dal in Odisha and the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, stating that these complaints were not made under oath and were not filed within the stipulated 45-day period following the election.
The CEC staunchly defended the integrity of the 2024 general election, dismissing the allegations of “vote theft” as an insult to the Constitution. “How can someone steal votes” in such a transparent process, he asked, adding that “neither the ECI nor any voter is afraid of such baseless accusations”. He emphasized the involvement of over one crore employees in the electoral process and the safeguards in place to prevent fraud.
The ECI’s firm stance signals a commitment to defending the electoral process against what it deems unsubstantiated accusations. The coming week will be crucial in determining whether Rahul Gandhi will provide the requested affidavit or face the consequences of his allegations.
First Piper 