New Delhi – Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has once again ignited a political firestorm, reiterating his charge of "vote theft" and accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of undermining Indian democracy. In a press conference held earlier today, Gandhi described the situation as a "live murder of democracy," citing the destruction of CCTV footage and instances of multiple voting allegedly carried out by BJP workers.
Gandhi's allegations are primarily focused on irregularities observed during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent assembly elections in states like Haryana. He claims that widespread electoral fraud occurred, with evidence pointing towards manipulated voter lists, duplicate voters, and invalid or bulk voting practices. Gandhi specifically pointed to a case where a Brazilian model's photograph was allegedly used to cast votes multiple times across different polling booths in Haryana. Media reports identified the Brazilian woman as Larissa Nery who stated that the photo used was an old photo of hers.
"The BJP is indulging in wholesale theft of elections," Gandhi declared, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attained his position through illegitimate means. He accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of colluding with the BJP to manipulate election results, suggesting a partnership between the two entities. Gandhi stated that the ECI is actively obstructing transparency and potentially colluding with the ruling BJP. He questioned the ECI's decision to destroy CCTV footage from polling stations, which he believes could have revealed suspicious voting patterns, particularly surges in turnout after 5:30 pm. Gandhi views this destruction of evidence as a criminal act against the Indian Constitution.
Gandhi presented data suggesting that approximately 2.5 million votes were fraudulently cast in Haryana, alleging the presence of 521,000 duplicate voters, 93,174 invalid voters, and 1.926 million bulk voters. He further claimed that one individual was registered with 223 votes across two polling booths, all bearing the same photograph. Gandhi also pointed to instances of voters with fake photographs or addresses on electoral rolls, and cases where large numbers of voters were registered at single addresses.
The BJP has vehemently denied these allegations, dismissing them as false, baseless, and a fabricated conspiracy intended to influence upcoming elections. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Gandhi of defaming the country and its democratic institutions, stating that the Congress leader raises questions about the ECI to conceal his own failures. The ECI has also refuted Gandhi's claims, with officials stating that no appeals against electoral rolls were filed in Haryana and questioning why Congress polling agents did not raise objections at the polling booths.
Gandhi has called upon the youth and "Gen Z" to recognize how the BJP allegedly steals elections, asserting that similar tactics were employed in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. He has demanded that the ECI release electronic voter data from the past 10-15 years, along with CCTV footage, to demonstrate its impartiality. Gandhi stated that the CCTV footage and voter lists are now pieces of evidence in a crime, and the Election Commission is actively trying to destroy them.
The controversy surrounding the integrity of the electoral process continues to escalate, raising concerns about the fairness and transparency of Indian elections.
