Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of “double standards” and “protecting the BJP” over allegations of large-scale vote theft. Speaking at the launch of the INDIA bloc’s 16-day Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar, Gandhi questioned why he alone was asked to file an affidavit over his claims, while the BJP, which had recently made similar accusations, faced no such demand.
“Why is the EC asking only me for an affidavit? The data I used is from the Election Commission. Why isn’t the BJP being asked the same when it made similar allegations just days ago?” Gandhi asked, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
The yatra will cover 20 districts and culminate in a mega INDIA bloc rally in Patna on September 1. Gandhi alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s voter rolls was being weaponized to disenfranchise the poor and marginalized. He also accused the Modi government of quietly altering laws on CCTV monitoring during elections to facilitate manipulation.
“This is not an isolated incident. Votes were stolen in the Lok Sabha elections, and the same happened in assembly elections across the country,” Gandhi said. “Now, they are trying to do the same in Bihar. But the people of Bihar will not allow it — because for the poor, their vote is their only power.”
Pointing to discrepancies in Maharashtra, Gandhi claimed, “Our alliance won the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. But just four months later, the NDA won the assembly polls. How? Because over one crore new voters were added in that short time. Most of the seats won by the BJP were in areas where these additions happened.” He further alleged massive voter list tampering in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency, saying, “Over one lakh votes were manipulated to ensure a BJP win.”
The rally was marked by a powerful show of opposition unity. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav urged people to rise against “those stealing votes.” He declared, “We must chase away those who steal votes. Only by working together can we strengthen democracy and remove the BJP.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took direct aim at Prime Minister Modi, calling him “a very dangerous person” who is “threatening democratic institutions.”
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav raised the pitch further, thundering: “This is not just theft — it is robbery of votes. Modi, Shah, and the EC must listen — we will not let democracy be destroyed in Bihar. We will fight for the people.”
Other INDIA bloc leaders present included CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, CPI(M)’s Subhashini Ali, and CPI’s P Sandosh Kumar — all of whom denounced alleged vote theft and pledged a united fight against the NDA.
