Amid the “vote fraud” controversy, the opposition intends to file for the poll panel chief’s impeachment.

Days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the poll authority of widespread voter fraud, the opposition INDIA alliance is preparing to file an impeachment resolution against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, intensifying their conflict with the EC.

The action follows allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft) in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Haryana by Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who said the Commission was tampering with voter data to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He accused the ECI of “colluding” with the ruling party on August 7, claiming that 1,00,250 “stolen” votes in Bangalore Central’s Mahadevapura assembly segment allowed the BJP to win the Lok Sabha.

According to Article 324(5) of the Constitution, the CEC can only be removed by a resolution of impeachment by Parliament, just like a Supreme Court judge.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar responded to the accusations on Sunday, calling Gandhi’s assertions “baseless” and “an insult to the Constitution.” He called for Gandhi to either apologize to the country or provide a signed affidavit supporting his accusations during a press conference in Delhi.

“An affidavit will have to be given or an apology should be made to the country. Teesra koi vikalp nahi (There is no third option). If the affidavit is not received within seven days, it means that all these allegations are baseless,” Kumar said.

Gandhi, however, hit back, alleging selective targeting. “The Election Commission asks for an affidavit from me. But when Anurag Thakur (BJP MP) says the same thing that I am saying, it does not ask for an affidavit from him,” he said.

It didn’t take long for the opposition to support Gandhi. Congress spokesman Pawan Khera claimed that rather than seeming like an independent constitutional body, the CEC’s comments sounded like those of a BJP official.

“It seemed like BJP was speaking today. Did he give any response about the one lakh voters we exposed in Mahadevapura?” Khera asked. RJD leader Manoj Jha accused the Commission of ducking “burning questions” while JMM MP Mahua Maji asked the poll body to clarify the authenticity of documents presented by Gandhi in his press conference.