Rahul Gandhi Accuses Election Fraud, Criticizes Election Commission Publicly
In a shocking turn of events, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in India, has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the ruling BJP party of conspiring to rig elections by manipulating voter rolls.
On August 7, 2025, Gandhi levelled serious allegations against the ECI, accusing them of orchestrating vote theft in multiple states and elections, including Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Bihar ahead of the 2025 elections. He claimed these manipulations included adding fake voters, deleting legitimate voters, and duplicating entries to favour the BJP.
Gandhi presented what he described as "atom bomb proof" data, alleging detailed discrepancies such as duplicate voters, votes cast in multiple constituencies, invalid addresses, and non-machine-readable electoral rolls. His data reportedly covers around 650,000 voters in a single state assembly segment, highlighting over 100,000 entries with significant irregularities suggestive of systematic manipulation.
The ECI has categorically refuted these allegations, labeling them misleading and asking Gandhi to submit his charges under oath for verification. In a major press conference on August 17, 2025, the ECI rejected the vote theft allegations and asserted that they cannot initiate an enquiry based on just a PowerPoint presentation.
The scandal comes at a time when confidence in democratic institutions is fading all over the world, and India is affected by these trends. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court based on Gandhi's allegations, seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and halting further revision or finalization of electoral rolls until verified, citing threats to the fundamental democratic principle of "one person, one vote."
In a defiant response, Gandhi demanded that the ECI come clean by handing over relevant electronic voting data and CCTV footage to the Opposition. He has launched a "Vote Adhikar Yatra" (Voting Rights March) focusing on Bihar, where upcoming state elections have made the issue more politically charged. Congress party leaders have organized high-profile protests, wearing T-shirts featuring the photograph of Minta Devi, a 124-year-old first-time voter from Bihar, as evidence of irregularities.
Gandhi has also expanded his campaign, accusing Bihar's electoral rolls of being manipulated through the SIR process. He launched a dedicated portal where citizens can report electoral irregularities, claiming to have already documented over 100,000 voter discrepancies in Bengaluru alone.
Critics have questioned the ECI's reluctance to provide electronic data for independent audits, calling it "data secrecy" that undermines transparency. Over 300 MPs attempted to march to the ECI office, leading to police detentions, including Gandhi himself. The BJP has rejected the accusations, dismissing them as sour grapes.
The standoff between Gandhi and the ECI has created a tense atmosphere, with neither side backing down. The issue has sparked a nationwide debate, with many calling for transparency and accountability in the electoral process. The fate of India's democratic institutions hangs in the balance.
[1] Times of India
[2] Hindustan Times
[3] The Indian Express
[4] NDTV
[5] Business Standard
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