Rahul Gandhi on Thursday sharpened his charge of “vote theft”, declaring that he was poised to present what he described as “dynamic and explosive” evidence to substantiate his claims of electoral malpractice.
Speaking to reporters in Raebareli, the Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said: “We are about to give you dynamic and explosive evidence. The slogan ‘vote chor, gaddi chor’ is being echoed across the country. The fire is spreading since it is the truth. It is a fact that governments are being formed by stealing votes. We guarantee that we will be providing you with the proofs.”
Gandhi has in recent weeks amplified his attacks on both the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). At a press conference on August 7, he accused the poll body of direct complicity in large-scale voter fraud, alleging that the Congress had “open-and-shut proof” of manipulation. He cited his party’s findings from the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in Karnataka, where he claimed there had been “vote chori” of 1,00,250 votes.
The Congress leader has argued that what he termed collusion between the BJP and the ECI played a decisive role in enabling Narendra Modi to secure a third term as Prime Minister. He has further alleged that elections in the country have been “choreographed”, calling into question the credibility of the electoral process.
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The escalation of these allegations coincides with the run-up to assembly elections in several states. Gandhi recently concluded a 16-day ‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra’ in Bihar, where he was joined by Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav. The march, covering more than 1,300 kilometres across 20 districts, sought to highlight alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls. Opposition parties have described these discrepancies as symptomatic of a wider pattern of “vote chori”.
Addressing a rally in Madhubani during the campaign, Gandhi claimed that the BJP’s “engagement in vote theft originated from Gujarat, came to the national level in 2014.” His speeches have sought to connect his allegations to what he says is a consistent trend of manipulation benefiting the ruling party.
Currently stationed in Raebareli, Gandhi held discussions with workers at the Feroze Gandhi Unchahar Thermal Power Station under the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), where he spent the previous night. He also met residents from Raebareli and Unchahaar, continuing his outreach in the constituency.
The Congress party is expected to release documents in the coming days that Gandhi has promised will serve as proof of his allegations.
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