Rahul Gandhi, an Indian politician, has declared his intention to tackle perceived inconsistencies within the country's electoral system.
In the lead-up to the closely contested Bihar election, scheduled to take place by November, Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the main opposition Congress party, has accused India's electoral system of having serious discrepancies.
Gandhi made these comments at his official bungalow in central Delhi, where portraits of his father and grandmother (both former prime ministers) hung from the walls. He specifically claimed that in the 2024 Indian general election, there was large-scale electoral fraud involving over 100,000 fake or irregular voters in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency of Karnataka.
He alleges that the electoral rolls contained voters listed twice, voters voting in multiple places, entries with invalid addresses and photographs, and that such discrepancies influenced the BJP’s victory in the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat despite Congress leading in most assembly segments. Gandhi accuses the Election Commission of India (ECI) of "vote chori" (vote theft) and collusion with the ruling BJP, also criticizing the ECI for not sharing digitally readable electoral rolls and for deleting CCTV footage that could prove or disprove the allegations.
However, the Election Commission of India, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, has firmly rejected these claims as baseless and misleading. The Commission emphasizes its commitment to free, fair, and transparent elections, stating there is no evidence of widespread irregularities or vote theft. It also highlighted that having a voter’s address where they actually sleep, even if atypical (like under a bridge or street), does not imply fraud but protection of vulnerable voters.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which forms the current government, has denied these rigging charges. Meanwhile, BJP members and affiliates have supported the Election Commission’s position and accused the Congress of using electoral fraud allegations as an excuse for their defeat, while counter-accusing opposition parties of electoral malpractice themselves.
Gandhi's comments come as the opposition parties are hoping to capitalize on the potential edge in the Bihar election due to a lack of jobs, according to a recent survey by the VoteVibe agency. The opposition aims to preserve public trust in democratic institutions and has stated that the Congress party's strategy is focused on building public pressure and potentially challenging the ECI through the courts.
Gandhi vowed to continue challenging the integrity of the election system through public mobilization and potentially the courts. The situation remains somewhat contentious with protests and political mobilization by opposition parties following these claims. The BJP won several state elections with relative ease, despite performing below expectations in the national vote, indicating a complex political landscape in India.
- Rahul Gandhi, during a statement at his residence, has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of colluding with the ruling BJP and running a "vote chori" (vote theft) operation, particularly in the 2024 Indian general election and a Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in the 2024 Indian general election.
- Gandhi's claims of electoral fraud include the presence of voters listed twice, voters voting in multiple places, entries with invalid addresses and photographs, and discrepancies that allegedly impacted the BJP’s victory in the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat during the 2024 Indian general election.
- Addressing the BJP's rigging charges, Gandhi and the opposition parties are hoping to capitalize on the potential edge in the Bihar election due to a lack of jobs, as well as building public pressure and potentially challenging the ECI through the courts.
- In response to the controversy, the Election Commission of India has rejected the allegations as baseless and misleading, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections, while highlighting that unconventional voter addresses do not imply fraud but provide protection for vulnerable voters.
