Rahul Gandhi alleges vote fraud, EC rejects claims; BJP calls it political drama

New Delhi [India], September 18 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday once again raised concerns over alleged “vote theft” and slammed the Election Commission of India for not cooperating with the investigation. He accused the EC of ignoring serious issues related to voter fraud.

“I am going to show the youth, the people, proof that is black and white, absolutely clear that Chief Election Commissioner of India is protecting people who have destroyed Indian democracy. I will also show you the methods by which votes are added, deleted and show you how it is done,” Rahul Gandhi said during a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Indira Bhawan.

“In Aland, Karnataka, 6018 votes, somebody tried to delete these votes. We don’t know the total number of votes deleted in 2023 elections, but somebody got caught. It was caught, by most crimes, by a coincidence. What happened was that the Booth Level officer noticed that her uncle’s vote has been deleted. When she checked she saw that her neighbour had deleted the vote,” he added.

Gandhi also alleged that he is “getting help” from people who are working for the Election Commission of India (ECI) in uncovering alleged vote fraud in the country.

However, the Election Commission firmly rejected all allegations, clarifying that no voter’s name can be deleted online by any member of the public.

“Allegations made by Rahul Gandhi are incorrect and baseless. No deletion of any vote can be done online by any member of the public, as misconceived by Rahul Gandhi. No deleting can take palce without giving an opportunity of being heard to the affected person,” the ECI said in a statement.

The controversy has sparked fresh political turmoil, with parties divided; some support Gandhi’s claims, while others criticise them.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) over allegations of the poll body “shielding” certain people who are trying to delete votes of real voters, as he hailed party leader Rahul Gandhi for “thoroughly exposing mass vote deletion” in Karnataka’s Aland constituency.

Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi criticised the Election Commission of India for allegedly colluding to destroy the electoral process and challenge democracy.

“I urge everyone to watch his (Rahul Gandhi) press conference because you should understand what is happening in our country. And the EC is colluding to destroy the electoral process and challenge democracy in our country. We need to fight for democracy, the Constitution and our country,” she told reporters in Wayanad.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj backed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s fresh allegations of voter deletions, demanding answers from the Centre and Election Commission. However, Bharadwaj criticised Congress and Gandhi for “remaining silent” while AAP highlighted similar discrepancies during the Delhi Assembly elections in early 2025.

Speaking to ANI, the AAP leader accused the Congress and Rahul Gandhi of still “remaining silent” on the issue, alleging that Congress only raises its voice for its own interests and not for opposition and democracy.

“The issue raised by Rahul Gandhi is serious, and the Election Commission and the central government of the country should respond to it. He said that applications have been submitted to remove 6,000 votes in a seat in Karnataka. However, while he (Rahul Gandhi) is saying this today, Arvind Kejriwal said this in January 2025. We had pointed out that in Delhi’s New Delhi Assembly constituency, in a similar manner, applications were submitted to remove around 6,000 votes and add 10,500 new votes in just 15 days,” Bharadwaj told ANI.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders launched a scathing attack on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, with Union Minister Anurag Thakur accusing the Congress of turning the “politics of allegations” into an art form, saying it has become a habit for the opposition to make false claims and later backtrack.

“Election after election defeats and a leader who has been rejected by the public, under whose leadership the Congress party has lost nearly 90 elections, his frustration and despair is increasing day by day. They have made the politics of allegations their ornament. When the Election Commission asks them to verify the allegations they themselves have made, they turn their back and run away. When asked to file an affidavit, they back out. Making false and baseless allegations has become a habit of Rahul Gandhi,” the BJP leader said.

Apologising after making allegations and getting reprimanded by the court has become Rahul Gandhi’s routine, he added.

Taking a jibe at the Congress leader, Thakur said that someone who claimed to have a “hydrogen bomb” had to settle with firecrackers.

Telangana BJP President N Ramchander Rao slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and called his press conference a “big joke”.

Speaking to ANI, N Ramchander Rao said, “Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on vote theft is a big joke. He proved that he is a joker. What is so great about what he said? This is nothing. His allegations are false and childish, with no basis in truth. They are mainly based on some kids playing with software, deleting and adding names randomly.”

Rajya Sabha MP Manan Kumar Mishra criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent allegations of vote theft, and said he has no evidence, which is why he is making allegations against the Election Commission.

Speaking to ANI, Manan Kumar Mishra said, “The result of the whole press conference was nothing…There is no evidence. Rahul Gandhi always talks nonsense…Public will not be affected by this…There is no evidence of how the software was manipulated…”

Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC also slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the fresh allegations of ‘vote theft’, calling him a “spy agent” and a “flop professor”.

Speaking to ANI, Shiv Sena leader urged Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition to do some real work and “stop playing theatrics, photo ops and constant drama”, as Rahul Gandhi continues to mount charge against the poll body. (ANI)

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