Rahul Gandhi Accuses Voter Misconduct in Karnataka and Maharashtra Elections; Election Commission Replies
In a recent development, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP of massive electoral fraud during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of Karnataka's Bangalore Central constituency and the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Gandhi's allegations include the theft of over 1 lakh votes through methods such as duplicate entries, fake addresses, and the registration of bulk voters at a single address. He also claims that the number of voters added to the list in the five months leading up to the Maharashtra polls was significantly higher than the number added in the last five years.
The Karnataka government has announced a formal probe into these allegations, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pledging legal action and the state's legal department launching an investigation. The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer has sent a notice to Rahul Gandhi, asking for evidence to support his claims and facilitate a detailed inquiry.
In response, Gandhi has maintained his allegations, stating that the voter list he referred to is Election Commission data and not his own. He has also asserted that the voter turnout after 5 pm in Maharashtra during the elections saw a huge jump, which he believes is indicative of fraudulent activities.
Gandhi has also accused the Election Commission of knowing the truth about poll irregularities across the country and of not denying the information he presented about such irregularities. The Election Commission, however, has not publicly denied Gandhi's claims.
Political leaders like Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin have supported Gandhi's charges, demanding an independent probe and electoral reforms. However, the BJP and the Election Commission have denied the fraud allegations as baseless.
Some specific claims made by Gandhi, such as 80 voters registered at a 120 sq ft room, have been publicly refuted by the room owner, who stated that the occupants were migrant workers with temporary stays who did not necessarily vote there.
The investigation into Gandhi's allegations is ongoing, with the Karnataka government and the Election Commission awaiting further proof. Political support has emerged for an independent probe, but the claims are contested and under formal scrutiny as of August 2025.
- The ongoing investigation into the allegations made by Rahul Gandhi about electoral fraud during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and other assembly polls, such as the ones in Maharashtra, has sparked debates in the realm of politics and policy-and-legislation, with parties presenting their opinions on the matter.
- Besides Rahul Gandhi's allegations of massive voter fraud through methods like duplicate entries, fake addresses, and bulk registration, his opinion about potential irregularities in the Election Commission's handling of war-and-conflicts-related legislation and general-news reporting is also a contentious issue, with some political leaders calling for further scrutiny.
