The Election Commission of India (ECI) has once again pressed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to either back his allegations of “vote theft” with a formal declaration or apologise for making what it termed “absurd” claims against the poll body.
Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft
At a press conference on 7 August, Gandhi accused the ECI of choreographing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to benefit the BJP, which he claimed appeared “immune to anti-incumbency.” Presenting Congress’s internal findings, Gandhi alleged that in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura seat alone, 100,250 votes were stolen through duplicate names, fake addresses and bulk registrations at single properties. He pointed to discrepancies between Congress’s expected and actual tally in the state, claiming the party lost seven seats under suspicious circumstances.
Election Commission’s response
The poll body said Gandhi must sign declarations prepared by the Chief Electoral Officers of Maharashtra and Karnataka if he believed his own analysis. “If Rahul Gandhi does not sign the Declaration, it would mean that he does not believe in his conclusions. In that case, he should apologise to the nation,” sources said. Officials also reminded that the Congress-led Karnataka government itself uses electoral rolls to frame its caste census policy.
Congress and allies stand by claims
Karnataka Minister G Parameshwara confirmed the state unit would file a complaint with the poll body on Gandhi’s behalf. “There is a difference in the voter list, which the commission should accept,” he insisted, while suggesting Rahul Gandhi need not personally provide the documents. Meanwhile, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar lent weight to the Congress leader’s concerns, revealing that before the Maharashtra Assembly polls, two individuals had offered him and Gandhi a “guarantee” of 160 seats out of 288, which they both rejected.
BJP dismisses allegations as baseless
The BJP accused the Congress of playing the blame game. Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia argued that the Congress routinely blames EVMs, VVPATs, the public, or the ECI when it loses elections. “If you want to seek a remedy in law, Mr Rahul Gandhi, you must follow due procedure. Baseless allegations in the media are not proof,” Bhatia said, demanding a formal complaint rather than public statements.
The row has added fresh fuel to the ongoing political battle, with the ECI holding firm that Gandhi must either substantiate his charges through official channels or retract them before the nation.
