Rahul Gandhi Unleashes Scathing Attack on Election Commission, Alleges 'Vote Theft' in Collusion with BJP

 Rahul Gandhi Unleashes Scathing Attack on Election Commission, Alleges 'Vote Theft' in Collusion with BJP

New Delhi, September 19, 2025 – In a blistering press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of orchestrating a deliberate "vote theft" scheme in collusion with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Labeling the act as a "murder of democracy," Gandhi presented what he claimed was damning evidence of systematic voter deletions targeting Congress strongholds, allegedly executed through unauthorized online manipulations and lax oversight by the ECI. The allegations, delivered with characteristic intensity, come at a critical juncture as India prepares for assembly elections in Bihar and Maharashtra, raising the stakes for electoral integrity.

 Explosive Claims: A Conspiracy to Rig Elections

Gandhi, joined by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary Jairam Ramesh, centered his accusations on what he described as a pattern of targeted voter deletions, particularly in constituencies where Congress holds sway. Holding up charts and purported ECI internal documents obtained through Right to Information (RTI) queries, he cited the Aland assembly constituency in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district as a prime example. "In Aland, 6,018 voters were wiped off the rolls overnight between 2022 and 2023, just before the state elections. These weren’t random – over 80% were from Scheduled Castes and Muslim communities, our core voters," Gandhi alleged, pointing to the BJP’s victory in the seat as a direct result.

He further claimed that these deletions were facilitated by unauthorized online logins, with Form 7 submissions – used to request voter deletions – filed at odd hours, such as 4 a.m., without mandatory verification processes. "The ECI says no public member can delete voters online, but our data shows logins from suspicious IPs doing exactly that. This is not a glitch; it’s a conspiracy," Gandhi charged, directly implicating Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar for allegedly shielding the perpetrators.

Gandhi escalated his accusations by revisiting claims from August 2024, when he alleged that over 100,000 fake votes were injected in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura segment during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, swinging the seat for the BJP. "We lost 48 seats nationwide because of this fraud. The ECI refused to provide machine-readable voter lists and deleted CCTV footage from polling stations," he said, citing meetings with affected voters who discovered their names missing from rolls without prior notice.

In a bombshell revelation, Gandhi claimed to have received tips from "whistleblowers within the ECI," who exposed vulnerabilities in the voter roll management system. He hinted at a forthcoming "hydrogen bomb" of evidence that would further expose the scale of the alleged manipulation. "This is not just about one election; it’s about stealing India’s democracy," he declared, framing the issue as a fight for the youth and marginalized communities.

Gandhi also pointed to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, accusing the ECI of rushing bulk additions and deletions to favor the BJP ahead of the 2025 assembly polls. "They’re deleting the poor and adding ghost voters. This is how the BJP plans to steal Bihar," he warned, announcing that the INDIA bloc would launch nationwide protests to demand "one person, one vote."

 ECI and BJP Mount Vigorous Defense

The ECI responded swiftly, terming Gandhi’s allegations "baseless, misleading, and misconceived." In a detailed statement and social media posts, the Commission clarified that voter deletions require physical Form 7 submissions, followed by hearings and appeals as mandated by the Representation of the People Act, 1950. "No online deletions by public members are possible," the ECI asserted, accusing Gandhi of conflating electoral roll preparation with voting processes. It demanded that Gandhi submit a signed affidavit under oath to substantiate his claims or issue a public apology within seven days, warning of legal consequences.

The ECI specifically addressed the Aland case, attributing the deletions to routine clean-ups of deceased or relocated voters, with only 1,200 appeals filed across Karnataka – none from Congress. It also debunked Gandhi’s timeline targeting CEC Kumar, noting that Kumar assumed office in 2024, well after the alleged 2022-23 deletions. Notices were issued to Gandhi by the Chief Electoral Officers of Karnataka and Haryana, seeking evidence for prior claims, including a discredited assertion about a voter named Shakun Rani casting two votes in 2024.

The BJP, meanwhile, launched a counteroffensive, accusing Gandhi of spreading "fake news" to destabilize democratic institutions. Union Minister Amit Malviya called it a ploy to promote "infiltrators first politics," while Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis mocked, "Rahul Gandhi’s brain chip needs a reboot – his numbers don’t add up." BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra challenged Gandhi to take his evidence to court, dismissing the allegations as a distraction from Congress’s electoral losses.

 A Pattern of Accusations and Protests

This marks the latest chapter in Gandhi’s ongoing campaign against alleged electoral irregularities. Since August 2024, Congress has highlighted issues like duplicate voter entries, invalid addresses, and bulk registrations in Bengaluru during the Lok Sabha polls. Last month, opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc, including Congress, were detained during a protest march to the ECI headquarters in Delhi, demanding transparency in voter list management.

Former CEC S.Y. Quraishi lent weight to the opposition’s concerns, criticizing the ECI’s "objectionable" tone toward Gandhi and advocating for reforms, such as including the Chief Justice of India in the appointment of election commissioners. However, a Karnataka CEO’s note inadvertently fueled the controversy by confirming some deletions, though it attributed them to procedural clean-ups.

 Public Reaction and Social Media Storm

The allegations sparked a polarized response on X, where #VoteChor trended with clips of Gandhi’s speech garnering millions of views. Supporters hailed his "courageous stand," with posts like, "Rahul Gandhi is exposing the BJP’s theft of our votes!" Critics, including BJP-aligned accounts, countered with ECI fact-checks, labeling it "Rahul’s anarchy agenda." Memes mocking Gandhi’s "hydrogen bomb" remark proliferated, with one viral post quipping, "Rahul’s bomb is a dud, but his drama is box office!"

 The Road Ahead: A Test for Democracy

Gandhi’s allegations have thrust electoral integrity into the national spotlight, with profound implications for upcoming polls in Bihar and Maharashtra. The ECI’s ultimatum for an affidavit or apology sets the stage for a potential legal showdown, while Gandhi’s promised "hydrogen bomb" of evidence could escalate tensions further. Political analysts warn that unchecked accusations risk eroding public trust in the ECI, a cornerstone of India’s democracy.