ECI Holds Conference on Legal Framework, IT as Rahul Gandhi Alleges Commission ‘Compromised’

ECI Holds Conference on Legal Framework, IT as Rahul Gandhi Alleges Commission ‘Compromised’

The controversy surrounding Mr. Gandhi’s remarks on the Election Commission is expected to escalate, contributing to the ongoing debate about the credibility of India’s electoral processes.

By RMN News Service

The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently convened a National Conference of Counsels and CEOs in New Delhi, focused on strengthening its legal framework and devising IT initiatives. This gathering included senior advocates, ECI officials, and Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from states and union territories.

The initiative aims to reorient the Commission’s legal approach to meet new challenges effectively, emphasizing a non-adversarial stance and ample opportunities for hearing. Discussions at the conference focused on enhancing the preparedness, efficiency, and coordination of the legal team, with particular attention to election law, judicial proceedings, and legal reforms.

The Commission seeks to reinforce its legal representation across various judicial forums through such strategic engagement. Separately, a conference of Chief Electoral Officers was held to plan the roadmap for the ECI’s IT initiatives. As part of this, the ECI is developing ECINET, an Integrated Dashboard intended to provide single-window access to relevant data for all stakeholders, unifying all ECI ICT initiatives under one umbrella.

These developments occur shortly after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi publicly alleged that the Election Commission of India is “compromised”. Speaking in Boston, USA on April 20, 2025, Mr. Gandhi cited alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra assembly elections. He claimed there was a “statistically impossible surge in voter turnout” within the final two hours of polling.

Mr. Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, stated that the ECI provided a figure around 5:30 pm, and within two hours, around 7:30 pm, 65 lakh voters had reportedly voted, which he described as physically impossible. He elaborated that if voting takes approximately 3 minutes per voter, such a surge would require voter lines stretching until 2 AM, which he claims did not happen.

Mr. Gandhi also stated that requests for videography were refused, and the law was allegedly changed to prevent such requests. Based on these claims, he concluded that it is “very clear to us that the Election Commission is compromised, there is something very wrong with the system,” adding that he has raised this issue multiple times.

The Election Commission has refuted these claims. Sources within the ECI reportedly told news agencies that allegations of manipulated electoral rolls were “unfounded”. They pointed to the recent Special Summary Revision (SSR) published in January 2025, a routine process for updating electoral rolls, during which there were “very few appeals or corrections sought” under the Representation of People Act. Officials stated that only 89 appeals were filed in Maharashtra despite the presence of over 13.8 million Booth Level Agents (BLAs) across the country, suggesting the final electoral rolls should be considered undisputed.

The controversy surrounding Mr. Gandhi’s remarks on the Election Commission is expected to escalate, contributing to the ongoing debate about the credibility of India’s electoral processes.