Rahul Gandhi Accuses EC of Election Manipulation, Cites Maharashtra Results

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has ignited a political storm by alleging that elections in India are being manipulated, a practice he refers to as ‘Vote Chori’ (vote theft). Speaking at a press conference, Gandhi accused the Election Commission (EC) of not only withholding key information but also colluding with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Rahul Gandhi pointed out a concerning trend in recent elections, particularly in states like Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. He highlighted that opinion polls, exit polls, and even internal surveys conducted by the Congress party showed one outcome, but the final results were shockingly different.

“Anti-incumbency hits every party in every democracy. But for some reason, the BJP is the only party that does not suffer from it,” Gandhi stated, emphasizing the unusual electoral resilience of the BJP.

Gandhi was particularly vocal about the Maharashtra assembly elections, where the results, he believes, confirmed his suspicions of electoral manipulation. “Maharashtra results confirmed our suspicion that the election was stolen,” he said. He further alleged that the EC’s refusal to provide machine-readable voter lists strengthened his belief in this collusion.

The Congress leader also raised concerns about the transparency of the voter list data. “The voter list is the property of this country. But the EC refuses to give it to political parties in a usable format,” Gandhi alleged. He claimed that the EC only provides the list in a form that cannot be properly analyzed, thereby hindering the ability of political parties to verify the fairness of the electoral process.

Gandhi’s allegations have sparked a heated debate on the integrity of the Indian electoral system. The EC has not yet responded to these accusations, but the opposition parties have rallied behind Gandhi, demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged electoral irregularities.

The implications of these accusations are significant, as they challenge the credibility of the EC and the fairness of the electoral process in India. If proven true, these allegations could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s democratic institutions.