Rahul Gandhi Says Voter Fraud Done ‘Nationally’, Teases ‘More to Come’ After Protest

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has renewed his charge that the Election Commission acted in favour of the ruling BJP to carry out voter fraud during last year’s Karnataka and Maharashtra elections. He also alleged that similar plans are underway in Bihar through the ongoing ‘special intensive revision’ of the voter list.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament on Tuesday, Gandhi said, “This did not happen in just one or two seats… it was done in many. It is being carried out nationwide in a systematic manner. The Election Commission is aware of it. Earlier there was no proof; now there is.”

He added, “We are defending the Constitution… The Election Commission is not fulfilling its role of ensuring ‘one person, one vote’. Abhi picture baaki hai (the story is not over yet),” he remarked with a smile. His statement came a day after a high-voltage protest near Parliament.

Protest Leads to Detention

On Monday afternoon, Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders demonstrated outside Parliament, demanding that the poll panel publish machine-readable voter lists instead of scanned image files, which they say make error detection nearly impossible.

The Delhi Police detained Gandhi along with 29 opposition MPs, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. As police buses took them away, Gandhi told reporters, “This is not a political fight… this is to protect the Constitution and the principle of ‘one person, one vote’.”

Claims of Irregularities in Karnataka and Maharashtra

Last week, Gandhi cautioned the Election Commission to “think carefully before attacking the Constitution”, warning, “We will identify you one by one… And if you don’t provide voter lists and polling booth video footage from the last ten years, you cannot hide.”

He presented data at an INDIA bloc meeting alleging over 1.02 lakh illegal votes in Karnataka’s 2024 Lok Sabha polls, including 80 people registered at the same one-room address in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura. Gandhi claimed these votes led to Congress losing the Bengaluru Central seat by 33,000 votes to BJP’s PC Mohan.

In Maharashtra, the opposition alleged that over one crore names were added to voter rolls within four months of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s setback in the Lok Sabha elections.

Bihar Voter List Revision Sparks Dispute

The opposition has also objected to the Election Commission’s special revision of Bihar’s voter list ahead of assembly polls in the state.

The Election Commission has firmly rejected the allegations, maintaining that its processes are transparent and designed to ensure free and fair elections. It has asked Gandhi to submit his claims in a sworn affidavit along with evidence. The poll panel also referred to a 2018 case involving former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, accusing the Congress of misleading the Supreme Court in that matter.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Amit Malviya criticised Gandhi for targeting a constitutional body, saying, “If Rahul Gandhi values his credibility, he must give the names of ineligible voters under oath. If he fails to do so, it will be clear that he has no real evidence and is only staging political drama.”