NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday (September 23, 2025) said BJP’s reaction to Rahul Gandhi on EC functioning creates mistrust in the Election Commission. He argued that whenever Rahul Gandhi raises concerns, BJP leaders respond instead of the commission itself.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar stressed that the Leader of Opposition has every right to question the poll body. “When Gandhi raised the issue in Parliament, the ECI should have answered. But BJP leaders take that role, and this damages trust,” he said.
Pawar warned that the credibility of the Election Commission must remain intact. “By doing this, they are actually contributing to mistrust about the ECI, which is not good,” he added. He urged the poll body to respond directly when its functioning comes under criticism.
Rahul Gandhi has sharpened his attack in recent weeks. He accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of shielding those who, in his view, undermined democracy. Gandhi cited examples from Karnataka and Maharashtra, claiming fraudulent voter additions and deletions. He called this “vote chori” (vote theft) and said it shows how democracy is being manipulated.
The Election Commission rejected Gandhi’s charges. It stated that no public member can delete votes online and called his claims baseless. Despite the clarification, BJP leaders continued to defend the commission, keeping the debate alive.
Sharad Pawar said such responses fuel suspicion instead of trust. He believes the ECI should take charge of clarifying facts rather than letting political parties dominate the conversation. The controversy around BJP’s reaction to Rahul Gandhi on EC is expected to intensify as elections draw closer.
