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Rahul Gandhi Alleges EC Bias, NDA Hits Back

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
  • Dec 09, 2025
  • 549

Parliament on Tuesday witnessed a stormy exchange between the opposition and the treasury benches as the Lok Sabha debated electoral reforms, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi mounting a sharp attack on the government, the Election Commission and the RSS, triggering repeated disruptions.

The debate unfolded amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and quickly descended into acrimony, as opposition members accused the ruling dispensation of eroding democratic institutions, while NDA MPs charged the opposition with attempting to discredit India’s electoral framework.

Opening the discussion, Gandhi emphasised that free and fair elections form the bedrock of the Indian republic, describing the nation as “a fabric woven together by the vote.” Invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s symbolism of khadi, he argued that India’s unity rests on the equal value of every citizen’s vote.

“None of our democratic institutions—Parliament, state assemblies or local bodies—would exist without the vote,” he said, adding that the principle of equality inherent in the electoral process unsettles the RSS.

The House erupted after Gandhi accused the RSS of subscribing to a hierarchical worldview. He further alleged a “systematic capture of India’s institutions” in the decades following Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, prompting strong protests from BJP members.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju objected to the remarks, accusing the Congress leader of straying from the subject of electoral reforms. Gandhi, however, returned to the issue by alleging that the BJP was influencing the Election Commission and raised questions over changes to the appointment process of election commissioners, immunity granted to the Chief Election Commissioner, and the timing of poll schedules.

NDA members firmly rejected the allegations. TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu accused the opposition of selective outrage over EVMs, while JD(U) and other ruling MPs said the opposition was weakening public trust in constitutional bodies instead of offering constructive proposals.

Defending the system, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh asserted that India’s electoral process was among the best in the world and required no improvement.