Manipulations suspected in Indian political voting processes
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The political landscape in India is currently embroiled in a heated controversy, following allegations made by Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Indian National Congress, regarding vote theft in the last general elections.
Gandhi has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission (EC) of colluding to manipulate election processes, adding fraudulent voters to electoral rolls, and engaging in other irregularities. He cited the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in Karnataka as an example, pointing out discrepancies such as duplicate voters, invalid addresses, and misuse of voter registration forms, including voters with the same address and invalid father names [1][3].
However, the EC has rejected Gandhi's claims, stating that no written complaints were ever submitted by him. Commissioner Ganesh Kumar has dismissed the vote theft allegations, prompting Gandhi to consider legal action against the EC [2]. The BJP, on the other hand, has denigrated Gandhi's accusations, labeling them as sour grapes from losing parties [2].
The opposition parties, led by the Congress, are now considering legal and constitutional actions against the EC and are exploring the possibility of an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner [2].
Gandhi has continued to assert his allegations, recently stating that the BJP is trying to steal votes to benefit industrialists. He has urged citizens to protect their voting rights and accused the BJP and EC of threatening democracy [1][5].
The situation remains unresolved, with ongoing political tensions and no clear resolution from legal or constitutional avenues yet.
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[1] NDTV. (2021, October 5). Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP of Stealing Votes, Says Party Trying to Benefit Industrialists. NDTV. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-accuses-bjp-of-stealing-votes-says-party-trying-to-benefit-industrialists-3150753
[2] The Hindu. (2021, October 6). Congress to Consider Legal, Constitutional Actions Against ECI. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/congress-to-consider-legal-constitutional-actions-against-eci/article36974388.ece
[3] The Print. (2021, October 5). Rahul Gandhi's Mahadevapura Vote Theft Claim: 5 Key Points. The Print. https://theprint.in/india/rahul-gandhis-mahadevapura-vote-theft-claim-5-key-points/879180/
[4] The Indian Express. (2021, October 6). ECI Asks Rahul Gandhi to Sign Declaration Affirming Vote Theft Claims or Apologize. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/eci-asks-rahul-gandhi-to-sign-declaration-affirming-vote-theft-claims-or-apologize-7961467/
[5] The Economic Times. (2021, October 5). Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP of Stealing Votes, Says Party Trying to Benefit Industrialists. The Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/rahul-gandhi-accuses-bjp-of-stealing-votes-says-party-trying-to-benefit-industrialists/articleshow/87586863.cms
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