Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticized Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Monday, alleging bias after the CEC publicly admonished Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Gogoi claimed the CEC’s remarks “undermined” the credibility of an important constitutional office. He questioned why the CEC did not extend similar scrutiny to the BJP, pointing out that the ruling party also held press conferences. “I think the Chief Election Commissioner, through his press conference, has only undermined the reputation of this constitutional post,” Gogoi stated.
This backlash followed the CEC’s rejection of Gandhi’s claims of “vote theft” in Bihar, which the CEC termed an “insult to the Constitution.” The CEC required Gandhi to either present evidence in a signed affidavit or apologize to the nation for his allegations.
Gogoi also commented on the NDA’s selection of Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its Vice Presidential candidate. He noted ongoing discussions within the INDIA alliance and expressed optimism that the opposition would soon announce a united decision. “The INDIA alliance leaders have had a few discussions on this matter, and I’m expecting that there would be a consensus, and we would hear the discussion made public very soon,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, protests led by INDIA bloc MPs persisted within Parliament against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Demonstrators-including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, and DMK’s Kanimozhi-carried banners with slogans such as “Stop Vote Chori.”
The opposition has accused the Election Commission of conducting a “Silent Invisible Rigging” operation in Bihar. In contrast, the BJP and treasury benches criticized the protests, asserting that the opposition had been obstructing the monsoon session proceedings since July 21.
Despite repeated clarifications from the Election Commission, the INDIA bloc remains resolute, framing their stance as a fight for the integrity of India’s electoral process.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/gaurav-gogoi-slams-cec-why-didnt-he-ask-bjp-the-same-thing-1262882-2025-08-18?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2025-08-18 12:08:00
