On 5th November, during a fiery press conference on the so-called ‘vote chori’ (vote theft), Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi once again launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of “destroying evidence” by allegedly deleting CCTV footage from polling stations. But those claims have fallen flat as one of the voters featured in his presentation has denied claims of ‘vote chori’.
Brandishing what he called the “H-files,” Gandhi presented a series of video clips and anecdotes to claim large-scale manipulation in the Haryana Assembly Elections 2024. Among the videos featured was that of Anjali Tyagi, a voter from Haryana, which Gandhi cited as proof of voter suppression.
However, just hours after his press conference, Tyagi herself came forward in an exclusive conversation with OpIndia’s Keshav Malan to categorically deny Gandhi’s allegations, asserting that her experience had been misrepresented and that her vote was “missed, not stolen.”
Gandhi had included Tyagi’s video in his slideshow to allege widespread voter fraud, suggesting that votes were manipulated to sway the election results. However, in her conversation with Malan, Tyagi clarified that her experience did not align with Gandhi’s narrative.
The full video of Anjali Tyagi and what she told OpIndia.@RahulGandhi @INCIndia used her video to claim “vote chori” in Haryana.
— Nupur J Sharma (@UnSubtleDesi) November 5, 2025
She rubbishes the allegation. Says her video was misused. pic.twitter.com/nT5oMz3X4G
She stated that her vote might have been missed due to administrative errors rather than stolen, directly challenging the opposition leader’s assertions.Tyagi’s denial is significant as it undermines the core of Gandhi’s allegations, which were part of a broader strategy to question the integrity of the electoral process in Haryana.
Speaking to Malan, she expressed her belief that her video was misrepresented, suggesting it was used out of context to support a false narrative of voter fraud. “I believe my video was incorrectly presented,” Anjali said in conversation with OpIndia.
The revelation adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing political discourse, where Gandhi’s claims have been met with dismissal from both the Election Commission and the Centre, who argue that no formal objections were raised during the election process.
Tyagi’s assertion that there was no “vote chori” in India, and that her case was likely a matter of oversight rather than malfeasance, resonates with the Election Commission’s stance that Gandhi’s claims were unfounded and lacked substantiation.
