Rahul Gandhi alleges voter list fraud in Maharashtra, Karnataka elections

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged large-scale electoral malpractice during the recent elections, accusing the Election Commission (EC) of colluding with the ruling BJP, reports PTI. In a press conference, Gandhi cited what he termed “evidence” of manipulation in voter lists, pointing specifically to the Maharashtra assembly and the Mahadevapura constituency in Karnataka.

He claimed that the denial of machine-readable voter data by the EC confirmed suspicions that the Maharashtra assembly election was “stolen”. Referring to the Karnataka constituency of Mahadevapura, Gandhi alleged that out of 6.5 lakh votes, over 1 lakh were fraudulent. Congress researchers, he said, had identified duplicate entries, invalid addresses, and clusters of bulk voters in the list.

Gandhi labelled the alleged malpractice as a “criminal fraud” being committed against the Constitution on a nationwide scale. He alleged that the EC, in cooperation with the ruling party, was perpetrating this fraud by manipulating electoral rolls and concealing vital data.

Citing national implications, Gandhi claimed that in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP retained power by winning 25 seats with margins below 33,000 votes. He argued that “stealing” just 25 seats was enough for the BJP to form the government.

He further alleged that the EC was deliberately withholding CCTV footage and voter data, and trying to destroy evidence. Gandhi warned that if the EC failed to release the required information, there would be consequences. He urged judicial intervention, stating that the EC’s actions were dismantling the integrity of India’s electoral system.