NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India, long regarded as the impartial guardian of the world`s largest democracy, is facing unprecedented scrutiny over its credibility and independence.

Opposition leaders and critics have alleged that large-scale rigging of elections is impacting the overall results of the vote.

The ECI has denied all charges, the first against it in India`s history.

Heading the charge is the leader of the opposition in New Delhi`s parliament, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, who previously alleged that India`s electronic voting machines are flawed.

Now Gandhihas accused the ECI of refus-ing to share digital voter records, detailing what he said was a list of errors after his supporters spent weeks combing through vast piles of registration lists by hand.

What are the allegations? Gandhi, 55, said his party lost dozens of seats in the 2024 parliamentary elections because of vote rigging. The largest democratic exercise in human history across the country of 1.4 billion people was staggered over six weeks.

Gandhi claimed that the ECI manipulated voter rolls to favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Modi, 74, won a historic third termlast year but fell short of a majority. The alleged rigging involved a string of tactics, according to Gandhi.

He said some people voted multiple times, citing bulk registrations from one dwelling and seemingly bogus addresses. In a presentation to reporters on Aug 7, Gandhi pointed to a parliamentary constituency his party narrowly lost as an `open and shut` example of the alleged irregularities.

Over 100,000 `fake` votes were cast in the constituency, he said, courtesy of duplicate voters. His Congress party lost the seat by just over 30,000 votes. `Our demand from the ECI is clear be transparent and release digital voter rolls so that people andparties can audit them,` Gandhi said.

What has the Election Commission said? The ECI has called Gandhi`s accusation `false and misleading`. India`s chief election commissioner said they would `never` back down from their constitutional duties.

`Politics is being done using the Election Commission... as a tool to target India`s voters,` Gyanesh Kumar told a news conference this month. `The Election Commission wants to make it clear that it fearlessly stands rocksolid with all voters... without any discrimination and will continue to do so.` Kumar also said those alleging fraud either need to furnish proof under oath or apologise.`An affidavit must be submitted or an apology to the nation must be made there is no third option.

Why now? Gandhi launched a month-long `voter rights` rally in the key battleground state of Bihar on Aug 17, receiving enthusiastic public response. The allegations come ahead of elections in Bihar in October or November.

The opposition alleged the ECI had embarked on a `mass disenfranchisement` exercise, after it gave voters in the state just weeks to prove their citizenship, requiring documents that few possess in a registration revamp.-AFP