Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday voiced strong support for Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of electoral malpractice, claiming that the Election Commission of India had colluded with the BJP to influence the 2025 Haryana Assembly election results. Hooda addressed a press conference in Delhi alongside Haryana Congress chief Rao Narendra.

Hooda expressed surprise at the election outcome, noting that pre-poll surveys had predicted no more than 29 seats for the BJP, while the Congress was expected to secure a majority.

“Rahul Gandhi presented clear evidence that the people’s mandate was undermined. Not only did vote theft occur, but the very governance of Haryana was hijacked. The results surprised everyone—no exit polls had predicted this. Rahul ji rightly highlighted the issue,” Hooda said.

Rao Narendra added that Rahul Gandhi’s presentation exposed the BJP and underscored that the party’s victories in Haryana and Maharashtra represented a “violation of the Constitution.”

“Today, the BJP, which has formed governments in Haryana and Maharashtra, has been exposed. Rahul ji has made it clear that this is an insult to democracy. In Haryana, we will hold candle marches across districts and announce a statewide protest against this injustice,” Rao Narendra stated.

The remarks come in the wake of Rahul Gandhi’s press conference, “The H Files,” where he alleged large-scale voter fraud in Haryana, claiming nearly 25 lakh fake or manipulated votes and discrepancies between postal and booth votes.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini rejected these allegations, accusing Rahul Gandhi of spreading misinformation to mislead the public.

“Rahul Gandhi is working to misguide the country. Congress has become issue-less and is resorting to lies to remain relevant,” Saini said.