Election Commission is involved in vote theft, asserts Rahul Gandhi

A serious conflict is rapidly escalating between the Congress-led Opposition, the ruling BJP, and the Election Commission of India over allegations of voter manipulation and “vote theft.” This issue has intensified following the announcement of the SIR initiative in Bihar, aimed at revising electoral rolls and sparking further debate.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, known for addressing major election concerns, is openly challenging the Election Commission and the ruling BJP by levelling serious charges.

Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to commit fraud during the 2024 elections, labelling them “vote thieves.” He claimed the Commission refused to meet with 300 non-BJP MPs and emphasised the need for a clean and transparent voter list. He claimed that Congress lost 70 seats by less than 50,000 votes and is investigating the legitimacy of those results.

EC dismisses charges

The Election Commission has dismissed these allegations as ‘misleading’. Gandhi, who has previously addressed major issues like the Ambani-Adani controversy, is rallying Opposition support against the EC. He highlighted claims of election fraud, including multiple registrations using the same Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) and voters registered at the same address. The Election Commission reports have indicated significant removals from the voter rolls, including 2.2 million deceased individuals and over 700,000 duplicates.

This issue is unlikely to fade away soon. If the Opposition can effectively convey its concerns to the public, it may impact the BJP adversely.

The Leader of the Opposition (LOP) said the united Opposition and every voter in the country demand a clean and transparent voter list. ‘And, we will secure this right at all costs,’ Gandhi claimed in a post on X later.

The Special Revision of the Electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the year-end elections is yet another controversial issue. During the Monsoon session, Opposition parties put their weight behind Rahul Gandhi’s agitation to confront the EC on the voter manipulations. The fact that opposition MPs were even detained by the police further highlights the strength of their collective action.

Five types of election frauds

Gandhi gained attention during a crucial month-long voter registration update in Bihar, just before the critical elections in November. He identified five types of alleged election fraud that need immediate attention. His evidence shows that the Election Commission failed to verify voters’ identities and misused Election IDs. Gandhi claimed that some voters were registered multiple times using the same Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers in different states. He also stated that many voters share the same address. Gandhi believes that these issues, which the Election Commission has ignored, helped the BJP win more seats nationwide through a planned strategy.

Politicians in Bihar and national parties are concerned about the updated voter rolls. According to the BBC, the Election Commission removed 2.2 million deceased individuals, over 700,000 people registered more than once, and 3.6 million who have moved out of the state. On August 12, Gandhi tweeted, “There have been many interesting experiences in life, but I never got the chance to have tea with ‘dead people.’ For this unique experience, thank you, Election Commission!” He expressed worries about vote tampering, claiming that this manipulation is happening systematically across the country. The Election Commission called Gandhi’s claims “factually incorrect.”

‘Factually incorrect’

While Congress’s evidence has not been verified, the Election Commission’s aggressive response has drawn criticism. Gandhi alleged that, in addition to duplicate voters, there were also bulk voters. He claimed that 80 voters were living in a one-room tenement in Mahadevpura, sharing the same address. He also pointed out multiple errors in a single vote, such as a house number listed as 0, which is unusual. The EC responded, claiming “Multiple voter IDs due to migration, other issues.”

This issue is not likely to fade away, and the principle of ‘one man, one vote’ is of utmost importance. If the Opposition can effectively persuade the public to acknowledge the problem, the BJP too would face serious consequences, underlining the potential impact of this issue. The gravity of the situation cannot be ignored.

The EC must clarify the issue to the parties after a thorough examination. The EC was respected by political parties earlier, but now they are on the opposite side.

Keep the flock united

Now that Rahul Gandhi has highlighted a key election issue and brought the Opposition together, he faces the challenge of keeping them united. The ‘one man, one vote’ campaign, a fundamental principle of democracy, is essential.

The I.N.D.I.A bloc is set to launch its two-week-long ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra,’ led by senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav. There will be many more such yatras before the Bihar polls.

However, the Election Commission’s image has declined, and people are beginning to doubt the institution. It is not too late to correct its image, and it must restore its credibility.

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