Rahul Gandhi’s “Vote Chori” Allegations

🗳️ Rahul Gandhi’s “Vote Chori” Allegations: A Political Flashpoint Over Electoral Integrity

📍 Background: The Press Conference That Sparked a Storm

On August 7, 2025, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi held a high-profile press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, alleging large-scale electoral fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His central claim: over 1 lakh votes were “stolen” in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency through duplicate entries, fake addresses, and mass registrations at single locations.

Gandhi presented what he described as internal Congress data and Election Commission records, citing the case of a voter named Smt. Shakun Rani, who allegedly voted twice. He displayed a tick-marked document he claimed was issued by polling officials—an assertion later refuted by the Election Commission.

🔍 Key Allegations by Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi’s claims centered on five alleged methods of vote manipulation:

• Duplicate voter entries
• Fake or invalid addresses
• Bulk registrations at single addresses
• Invalid photographs on voter IDs
• Misuse of Form 6 for new voter registration

He also accused the Election Commission of colluding with the ruling BJP, deleting CCTV footage from polling booths, and denying access to machine-readable voter rolls.

📢 Congress Escalates: “Do-or-Die” Campaign

Following the press conference, Congress announced a nationwide campaign against what it termed “voter list manipulation and election fraud.” Party president Mallikarjun Kharge is set to chair a strategy meeting on August 11 to mobilize support across India.

General Secretary KC Venugopal likened the movement to Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India campaign, calling it a “do-or-die mission to save democracy.”

🌐 Digital Mobilization: Launch of VoteChori.in

To amplify its message, Congress launched a dedicated portal—votechori.in—where citizens can:

• Download alleged “vote chori” proof
• Demand Election Commission accountability
• Report suspected voter fraud
• Receive a digital certificate of support signed by top Congress leaders

🏛️ Election Commission’s Response

The Election Commission of India (ECI) swiftly dismissed Gandhi’s claims as “misleading” and demanded a signed declaration under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. It stated that the document Gandhi presented was not issued by any polling officer and that Smt. Shakun Rani had voted only once.

The ECI also cited legal precedents, including a 2019 Supreme Court ruling, to justify its refusal to release machine-readable voter rolls.

🧾 Independent Verifications and Public Reaction

Several media outlets conducted independent investigations into the addresses cited by Gandhi. One such location—House No. 35 in Muni Reddy Garden—was found to host 80 registered voters, raising serious questions about voter roll accuracy.

Former Bombay High Court Justice BG Kolse Patil criticized the ECI’s response as “arrogant” and called for judicial intervention.

🎥 Watch the Press Conference

You can view the full press conference on YouTube (duration: 1 hour 10 minutes), where Gandhi lays out his case with documents, visuals, and emotional appeals.

🧭 What’s Next?

With Congress mobilizing its base and the Election Commission standing firm, the “Vote Chori” controversy is poised to become a defining issue in India’s political discourse. Whether it leads to electoral reform or deepens partisan divides remains to be seen.