Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s "Vote Theft" Trigger Political Firestorm on ECI

A major political controversy has erupted in India following a series of explosive claims by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of a "criminal fraud" and "collusion" with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi's allegations, presented during a press conference in early August and reiterated at a subsequent rally, have been met with a strong rebuttal from the ECI and the ruling BJP, who have demanded he provide evidence under oath or apologize to the nation.

 Case Study of Mahadevapura

At the heart of the dispute is Gandhi's claim of widespread electoral fraud, which he described as "vote theft." The Congress leader presented a detailed analysis of the Mahadevapura assembly segment in Bengaluru Central, alleging that a staggering 1,00,250 "fake votes" were intentionally added to the voter list. He argued that this manipulation was the decisive factor in the BJP’s victory in the Lok Sabha seat, which was won by a margin of 32,707 votes.

Gandhi broke down the alleged fraud into five specific categories:

Duplicate Voters: 11,965 voters were found to be registered at multiple booths or even across different states.

Fake/Non-existent Addresses: 40,009 voters were registered at addresses that were found to be fake or did not exist.

Bulk Voters at Single Addresses: 10,452 voters were registered at a single location, including one notable instance in Muni Reddy Garden where 80 voters were allegedly listed at a small property.

Invalid/Missing Photographs: 4,132 voter registrations had invalid or missing photographs.

Misuse of Form 6: 33,692 elderly voters were fraudulently registered as new voters.

He also raised concerns about a massive surge of one crore new voters in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, suggesting this was another instance of vote manipulation that benefited the BJP.

ECI’s Strong Rejection and Counter-Demands

The Election Commission of India has vehemently rejected Rahul Gandhi's claims, labeling them as "baseless" and "misleading." In a series of public statements and letters to Gandhi, the ECI challenged him to submit a signed affidavit under oath with concrete evidence to back his allegations. They pointed out that if he truly believed his claims, he should have no issue following the legal procedure to submit a formal complaint. The ECI also noted that the Congress-led government in Karnataka was using the same electoral rolls for a caste census, a fact they cited to question the party's own faith in the rolls.

Furthermore, the ECI refuted Gandhi's claim of a 1-crore voter increase in Maharashtra, stating the actual increase was significantly less. The poll body also reminded Gandhi that in the past, he has made similar allegations without providing formal evidence, such as in the 2018 Madhya Pradesh elections, where a similar case brought by Kamal Nath was dismissed by the Supreme Court.

Rahul Gandhi’s Defiance and Calls for Action

In response to the ECI's demand for an affidavit, Rahul Gandhi remained defiant. At a "Vote Adhikar Rally" in Bengaluru, he stated that his public oath to the Constitution as a Member of Parliament was sufficient and that his words should be taken as an oath. He turned the tables on the ECI, posing five questions to the commission, including why they were allegedly withholding digital voter lists and why they had ordered the destruction of CCTV footage from polling booths after 45 days.

Gandhi urged the Congress-led Karnataka government to investigate the Mahadevapura case and take action against any officials found to be involved. Other opposition leaders, including Shashi Tharoor, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Siddaramaiah, have supported Gandhi's stand, accusing the ECI of subverting its constitutional duty.

Political Battle Lines Drawn

The political fallout from the allegations has been swift and sharp. While the Opposition has rallied behind Gandhi, calling for an urgent investigation, the BJP has dismissed his claims as an act of "frustration" and "political theatrics." BJP leaders like Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sambit Patra have accused the Congress of "selective outrage," questioning why they did not raise similar concerns in states where they had won elections. The BJP has demanded that Gandhi and other Congress leaders resign from their elected positions if they have no faith in the ECI.

As the standoff continues, the public debate has shifted from the specific allegations to the credibility of India’s electoral institutions. The outcome of this dispute—whether Gandhi provides the requested affidavit or the ECI takes further action—is likely to have a significant impact on the political landscape and public trust in the country's democratic process