Avoid using inappropriate terms such as "Vote Chori"; Provide Evidence: Election Commission's Take
In a press conference on August 7, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP of collusion in unfair elections and criminal fraud. Specifically, he focused on the Mahadevapura Assembly segment in the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency, where he claimed over 1,00,250 fake votes were fraudulently registered.
Gandhi's allegations included vote theft, fake and duplicate voters, tampering with electoral rolls in 48 constituencies, including Bengaluru Central. He accused the ECI of colluding with the BJP to manipulate electoral rolls to favour BJP victories.
In response, the ECI has firmly rejected these allegations as "misleading" and has issued notices to Rahul Gandhi, asking him to provide documentary evidence supporting his claims in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana constituencies within specified timelines for investigation. The ECI has also requested Gandhi to formalize his complaint via a signed affidavit, which he has refused, stating he has already sworn an oath to the Constitution.
Gandhi alleges five distinct categories of voter list manipulation: duplicate entries, invalid addresses, bulk voters at a single address, missing photographs, and misuse of Form 6. He claims that there are 11,965 duplicate entries in the voter list, 40,009 voters are registered with invalid addresses, and 4,132 entries have missing or unidentifiable photographs.
The BJP has countered Gandhi's claims by highlighting that some expert data supporting the allegations was later retracted by its source, Sanjay Kumar of CSDS, who apologized for an error in comparing election data, further complicating the controversy.
As of August 2025, the investigation is pending the receipt of documents from Rahul Gandhi. The ECI has demanded proof from Gandhi of any person voting twice in any election. The ECI maintains the position that no wrongdoing is established without credible proof.
Here's a summary of the key aspects:
| Aspect | Details | |-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Allegations by Rahul Gandhi | Vote theft, fake and duplicate voters, tampering with electoral rolls in 48 constituencies | | Specific focus area | Mahadevapura assembly segment (Bengaluru Central), Maharashtra, Haryana | | ECI's response | Issued notices seeking evidence; rejected allegations; requested affidavit formalizing complaint | | Rahul Gandhi's action | Refused to submit affidavit; continues to claim constitutional duty | | BJP's stance | Denies allegations; points to retracted expert data as flawed evidence | | Status as of August 2025 | Investigation pending receipt of documents; political tensions ongoing |
Thus, while Rahul Gandhi’s allegations have led to official scrutiny via notices from the ECI, no conclusive public inquiry outcome has been announced yet.
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