The IAS Officers' Association has strongly defended Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar amidst a controversy fueled by allegations of "vote theft" made by opposition leaders. The association has expressed its disapproval of what it deems "unwarranted criticism" and "personal attacks" directed at Kumar and his family, many of whom are also civil servants.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the IAS Officers' Association emphasized that personal attacks are irrelevant to the discharge of official duties and reaffirmed its commitment to dignity and integrity in public service. The association's strong stance comes in response to recent accusations and threats against the CEC.

The controversy arose after opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleged that the Election Commission (EC) was involved in "vote theft" to benefit a particular political party during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi specifically warned CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners—all former IAS officers—of potential "action" if the INDIA bloc forms the government. Gandhi stated that the election commissioners have taken BJP membership and are working for them. He further accused them of stealing votes from the whole country.

CEC Kumar has firmly denied any wrongdoing and challenged Gandhi to provide evidence to support his claims or issue an apology. Kumar issued a seven-day ultimatum to Gandhi, demanding a signed affidavit with evidence to back up his "vote theft" allegations. Failure to do so, Kumar stated, would result in the allegations being dismissed as baseless.

The allegations and subsequent online harassment have extended to Kumar's family members, including his daughters and sons-in-law, who are also serving civil servants, as well as his younger brother, a senior officer in the Indian Revenue Service. The IAS Association has specifically condemned the online trolling and harassment targeting Kumar's family, emphasizing that they should not be drawn into political controversies.

In response to the opposition's accusations, CEC Kumar asserted that the ECI takes every possible step to safeguard the voting rights of every citizen and that attempts to discredit the commission are a disservice to the Constitution. He also refuted allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and a constituency in Karnataka. The Election Commission had urged the court to trust its SIR process and assured that not one voter will fall through the cracks.

The opposition parties are considering legal and constitutional measures against Kumar, and are accusing him of bias and of acting like a political spokesperson. They have also raised concerns about the removal of a large number of voters from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.