New Delhi: On Sunday, the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka issued a formal notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, requesting him to provide documentation to support his claim that a woman had voted twice.
Following this notice, the Election Commission reiterated its demand for Gandhi to either submit a declaration to back his allegations of electoral fraud in Karnataka, Haryana, and Maharashtra, or to apologize for what they termed as 'absurd' claims.
The state's chief electoral officer informed Gandhi that the requested documents would assist in conducting a thorough investigation.
Last week, Gandhi had presented these documents during a press briefing in the national capital.
The notice highlighted that Gandhi had alleged that Smt. Shakun Rani voted twice, but upon inquiry, she stated that she had only voted once, contradicting his claims.
Additionally, a preliminary investigation by the CEO's office indicated that the document Gandhi showcased was not issued by the polling officer.
The notice concluded with a request for Gandhi to provide the necessary documents that led him to conclude that Smt. Shakun Rani or anyone else had voted more than once, to facilitate a detailed inquiry.
In response to the notice from the CEO, the Election Commission stated that Rahul Gandhi still has the opportunity to either submit a declaration or apologize to the nation.
