Patna, June 9 -- Amid the ongoing preparations for the Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has strongly responded to questions raised by the Opposition regarding the electoral process. The Commission has clarified that it is functioning with complete transparency, impartiality, and in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution. Recently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cast doubts on the impartiality of the ECI in the context of the Maharashtra Assembly election results. The matter gained further momentum when former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav supported Gandhi's allegations and raised questions on the Commission's role in the upcoming Bihar elections. In a press release issued on Sunday, the Commission stated clearly that if any political party or leader had concerns or suggestions, they were free to contact the Commission directly. All formal and democratic channels for dialogue remained open. However, baseless allegations without factual backing not only misled the public but also damaged the credibility of the electoral system. Moreover, the option of approaching the courts remained available. If there was no faith even in the judiciary, what further recourse remained? it said. The Commission reiterated that statements based on assumptions and unverified information were merely attempts to tarnish the electoral process. It emphasised that while no political party raised objections to the recent Jharkhand Assembly elections, linking unrelated incidents from Maharashtra or other states to Bihar elections was unfortunate and driven by malice. The ECI once again asserted that its foremost priority was to conduct free, fair, and peaceful elections in Bihar. It stated that it would not be swayed by rumours, unfounded statements, or political propaganda....