Election Commission officials on Sunday challenged Congress' Rahul Gandhi to follow-up on his claims of "rigging" in 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections by formally writing to the poll panel, saying only then can it offer a formal, point-by-point rebuttal of his "baseless allegations".
"It is very strange that even after 24 hours have passed, Rahul has neither written any letter to EC nor sought time with it to air his grievances," said a senior EC functionary. "It is public knowledge that a constitutional body like EC cannot respond formally to allegations unless they are raised or communicated to it directly," the functionary added.