Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP of Vote Manipulation in Several States

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Indian National Congress and the opposition in the Lok Sabha, has intensified his accusations of electoral fraud, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has employed similar tactics in recent elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra. Speaking to journalists in Panarpani, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday, he stated, "After reviewing data I presented in a recent press conference regarding vote manipulation in Haryana, it is clear that the BJP has replicated this strategy in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra.

We possess substantial evidence that we will disclose gradually; what has been revealed so far is just the beginning."Gandhi claimed that there is a systematic effort to institutionalise what he termed "vote chori" or vote theft, asserting a direct attack on democracy and the Constitution as envisioned by B. R. Ambedkar. He named senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, as well as Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as being complicit in these actions.

"I urge the youth to resist this widespread theft of democracy," Gandhi added in his remarks.Gandhi's earlier claims stem from a press conference held on 5 November, where he introduced what he referred to as "The H-files." During this briefing, he accused the BJP of manipulating the 2024 Haryana assembly elections, citing alleged discrepancies in the electoral roll. He claimed that around 2.5 million entries were fraudulent and that the Election Commission had colluded with the BJP to secure its victory. Gandhi pointed to evidence of a coordinated strategy, including the use of a photograph of a Brazilian model on multiple voter registrations under different names such as "Seema, Sweety, and Saraswati.

"The Congress leader argued that with one in eight voters in Haryana being fictitious, the Congress party's loss by 22,779 votes—an outcome that spanned eight seats—was indicative of systemic fraud. He further alleged that over 124,000 fake photographs were utilised, insisting that the elections in Haryana were fundamentally compromised. According to him, the ongoing strategy, which he termed "Sarkar Chori," has eroded democratic principles, and he accused the Election Commission and the BJP of orchestrating "Operation Sarkar Chori" to transform a potential Congress victory into defeat. Gandhi questioned the Election Commission's inaction regarding duplicate entries, suggesting that it was deliberately preventing fair elections. He highlighted a specific instance where the Chief Election Commissioner's statement about the use of "house number zero" for voters without formal addresses was misleading.

In his remarks, he said, "Every opposition party comprehends this situation; they can see it... If the voter list is fraudulent, democracy ceases to exist. My duty as an opposition leader is to inform you about the reality you inhabit." When questioned about potential legal action, Gandhi remarked, "The Supreme Court, being the highest authority in the land, is observing... it is not concealed."In response to Gandhi's allegations, the BJP dismissed his claims as unfounded and baseless, accusing him of attempting to tarnish the reputation of India's institutions as a diversion from his party's political failures. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that Gandhi was raising questions about the Election Commission to obscure his own shortcomings and discredit the nation's democracy.

He accused Gandhi of attempting to incite younger voters, asserting that such efforts would ultimately be ineffective. Rijiju further questioned why Gandhi had not lodged any formal complaints with the Election Commission or pursued legal action, asserting that Gandhi preferred to hold press conferences rather than engage through appropriate channels. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also issued criticisms during a rally in Bihar, asking why Gandhi had not filed a formal complaint regarding alleged vote theft if he truly believed it was occurring. Singh accused Gandhi of misleading voters and claimed that the Congress party resorted to dishonesty for political gain.

Officials from the Election Commission responded to the allegations by stating that Gandhi's claims of voter manipulation were groundless. They noted that no appeals had been filed against the electoral rolls and that there were no reports of multiple voting incidents. In light of Gandhi's assertion that 2.5 million entries were fraudulent and that the elections had been "stolen," the officials questioned why Congress representatives at the booth level had not raised objections during the revision process.