Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday released another video on his X handle, repeating his allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft) and accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring to steal votes.
“Vote theft is not just an electoral scam; it is a major betrayal committed against the Constitution and democracy. Desh ke gunegaar sun lo, waqt badlega, saza jaroor milegi (Let the nation's culprits hear this – times will change, punishment will surely be meted out),” Gandhi wrote in his post, along with the video.
Claiming to have a deep understanding of the election process, Gandhi alleged that votes were stolen in Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, in addition to Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka.
“I remember, we lost the elections in Uttarakhand. Later, I asked the candidate where the roadshow was held – go there and see how many votes we got. Thousands of people came. No one voted in the polling booth. This was impossible. This cannot happen,” he said.
Gandhi further claimed that in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, Congress faced similar irregularities. Referring to the 2018 Madhya Pradesh polls, he said, “We win, but our government was robbed. Elections were held in 2023. I saw during Bharat Jodo Yatra terrible anti-incumbency. And we get 65 seats. Impossible. This cannot happen.”
On Maharashtra, Gandhi alleged that proof had emerged for the first time, stating that between the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections, “new voters come magically,” and wherever these voters cast ballots, “the BJP got the vote.”
The Congress leader said the ECI was refusing to share digital voter data with his party. “Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is that in India, the Election Commission and the BJP together are stealing the elections,” he claimed, adding that the poll body introduced the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) after Congress exposed its functioning. “This SIR is an institutionalised theft… and the aim is to steal the votes of the poor,” he alleged.
Gandhi’s latest video followed his Thursday press conference, where he accused the ECI of large-scale electoral fraud in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. Hours later, Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer issued a strongly worded letter, asking Gandhi to sign an affidavit specifying the details of his claims about the inclusion of ineligible voters and deletion of eligible ones.
The letter stated: “It is understood that during a press conference held today, you had mentioned about the inclusion of ineligible electors and exclusion of eligible electors in the electoral rolls cited at Para 3. You are kindly requested to sign and return the enclosed Declaration/Oath under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, along with the name(s) of such elector(s) so that necessary proceedings can be initiated.”
