‘Vote Chori is betrayal...’ Rahul Gandhi slams EC, BJP in new video | WATCH

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has intensified his accusations against the Election Commission (EC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming they worked together to manipulate voter data and election results in multiple states. In a fresh video posted on X , Gandhi referred to this alleged misconduct as “treason” and accused the EC of helping the BJP by deliberately altering electoral rolls.

Institutional theft: Rahul Gandhi slams EC over voter roll revisions

Rahul Gandhi focused on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar, a state scheduled to go to polls in October–November.

“That's institutional theft. The EC wants to help the BJP, clearly, by recasting the electoral rolls,” he said in the video.

He claimed that the EC was aiding the BJP by modifying voter lists to their advantage. The SIR, which requires multiple identity documents including proof of citizenship, has already drawn criticism from Opposition parties, who argue that it disproportionately affects poor and marginalised communities, including Muslims, Dalits and backward castes.

Allegations of widespread fake voter entries

Gandhi cited voter list irregularities in states like Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka. He claimed that thousands of fake entries, such as duplicate votes or those without real addresses, existed in the electoral rolls.

He used the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency as an example, alleging that bulk entries were made at one address and that many people were registered to vote in multiple places.

“So far we have only investigated the addition of votes. We will next probe the deletions too,” he added.

“Vote Chori is betrayal of democracy”

He said the alleged manipulation was more than just an electoral offence.

“Vote chori (theft) is not just an electoral scam; it is a major betrayal committed against the Constitution and democracy. Let the nation's culprits hear this: times will change, punishment will surely be meted out,” he wrote in Hindi.

The video follows a livecast presentation by Gandhi a day earlier, during which he showcased what he claimed was evidence of voter fraud. He accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to rig elections and demanded accountability.

Gandhi’s response to EC

After the EC asked him to submit his evidence under oath, Gandhi responded, “My word is an oath.” He maintained that all the data he cited was publicly available and originated from the Election Commission’s own records.

“I have said everything in public. And I have cited EC's data,” he reiterated.

Drawing from experience

Rahul Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, also reflected on his family’s long association with electoral politics.

Speaking in Hindi, he said, “I was born in a political family. My sister Priyanka and I used to make election posters at home back in 1980.”

“I understand the election process deeply... polling booths, voter lists, all of it,” he added.

He recalled how the results of several recent elections appeared to contradict the public sentiment on the ground.

“The mood would be one way, and election results would go the other way,” he said.

He particularly highlighted the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly elections and the 2023 elections in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. “I saw clearly; there was terrifying anti-incumbency (against the BJP) in Madhya Pradesh during my Bharat Jodo Yatra. Yet, we got just 65 seats (of 234)...impossible!” he remarked.

BJP reacts

The BJP has dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s claims, calling them signs of frustration over election defeats.

Meanwhile, the SIR process in Bihar remains under legal scrutiny due to its requirement for citizenship documentation, which critics say could be used as a tool to exclude poor and vulnerable voters.

Gandhi echoed this concern, saying in his video, “This is treason. There will come a time when we will catch you,” referring to the EC and its officials.

(With agency inputs)