If CEC allowed elections to be rigged it’s ‘treason’: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra speaks to the media during her ongoing visit to Keralam, in Nilambur, Malappuram district on September 23, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) said that if CEC Gyanesh Kumar was aware of elections being rigged and allowed it to happen, then its "treachery to the nation" and "an act of treason".The Congress MP from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency said that whosoever is doing it "has to be taken to task".Ms. Vadra, speaking to reporters at Nilambur, said that her brother and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was continuously taking up the issue of the "biases and the injustice that is going on through the Election Commission of India (ECI)".She said that he has repeatedly highlighted multiple issues and now it was coming out in the news media as well that Election Commissioners themselves have highlighted some of the issues to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar."So, I think it is an extremely serious issue for our democracy because if there are no elections, where is democracy? If the elections are unfair and are being rigged in any manner and the ECI is assisting in that, and the Election Commissioner is not only aware of it, but also allowing it to happen, then it is a very very serious assault on democracy."It is actually treachery with the nation. it is an act of treason and whoever is doing it has to be taken to task," she said.Ms. Vadra was referring to reports of Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi flagging multiple issues, including deletion of names, in various states during the voter roll cleanup under SIR.However, ECI officials have said that the poll body was unanimous in its decisions related to the pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' list.Ms. Vadra, who is in her constituency for a 10-day visit, said that whosoever is engaging in such acts "has to be taken to task" following a proper investigation.She said that the issue should not be probed by people who will not conduct a fair investigation."But it should be looked into in a manner where we know and the whole nation knows that this is being done in a proper manner. We are the largest democracy in the world. And we have had a robust democracy for years, for decades."We cannot afford to go lightly on these issues. We are all working tirelessly to strengthen our democracy. And here is the Election Commission that is doing all it can to weaken it," she said.The Congress MP said that if that was actually the case, and if what is coming out in the media are the facts, and if what the party has suspected for a very long time — like "manipulation of voters lists, deletion of lakhs of voters and manipulations that have taken place in Maharashtra and Haryana" — then it is something "extremely serious"."Those people who are responsible for it have to be taken to task. They have to be held responsible," she contended. Published - September 23, 2026 05:02 pm IST