Rahul Gandhi Expresses Gratitude to EC for Providing Opportunity to "Socialize with Deceased Individuals"
Rahul Gandhi Accuses Electoral Fraud in Bihar and Karnataka
Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged widespread electoral fraud during the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in Bihar and Karnataka.
In a series of actions, Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of colluding to disenfranchise voters and manipulate election results. He claims that the ECI has prepared faulty electoral rolls containing names of deceased individuals, and that voter lists have been made intentionally non-machine-readable to facilitate fraud.
In Bihar, Gandhi has been leading a Voter Adhikar Yatra, a protest march against the electoral roll revisions made by the ECI. He has shared a video of a meeting with individuals who claimed to be declared "dead" by the ECI in Bihar, and has accused the commission of vote theft.
In Karnataka, the Congress investigated seven unexpected losses, zeroing in on the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency where Gandhi alleged vote theft involving 100,250 votes. The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer has asked Gandhi to submit documents to inquire into his allegations against the poll body.
The Election Commission has dismissed these allegations, demanding that Gandhi submit his claims under oath within seven days. If he fails to do so, the commission has warned that his claims will be deemed "baseless and invalid" as per relevant electoral law.
The controversy remains highly politicized, with opposition parties using it to mobilize supporters, while the ruling party and ECI reject the allegations. Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra, which started in mid-August 2025 and will culminate in a major rally in Patna on 1 September 2025, continues to keep the issue in public focus.
In Karnataka, Gandhi stated that the Congress expected to win 16 Lok Sabha seats but ended up with only nine. The exact causes of these losses are yet to be determined, but Gandhi's allegations of vote theft have added to the political tension.
Here is a summary of the situation:
| Aspect | Details | |----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | Allegations by Rahul Gandhi| Electoral fraud via dead voters, vote theft, manipulated voter rolls in Bihar and Karnataka | | Focus of allegations | Election Commission and BJP collusion to disenfranchise voters | | Election Commission stance | Dismissed claims; demanded proof under oath within 7 days | | Political context | Opposing parties protesting; BJP defending status quo | | Investigation status | No public official inquiry results; issue ongoing | | Current developments | Voter Adhikar Yatra by Rahul Gandhi in Bihar ongoing through September 2025; investigation in Karnataka ongoing |
This summary reflects the situation as of late August 2025 and may evolve with forthcoming legal or electoral commission processes.
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