Rahul Gandhi Alleges ECI-BJP Collusion, Claims Over 1 Lakh ‘Fake Votes’ in Karnataka Seat
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has once again stirred political waters by accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of collaborating with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in what he describes as an “institutionalised chori” or electoral theft.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel on August 8, 2025, Gandhi alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was being used to systematically strip voting rights from the poor, particularly in Bihar.
Claims of Collusion and Theft
According to Gandhi, the Election Commission and the BJP are working hand in hand to “steal elections.”
The video, which follows a press conference held a day earlier, expands on what the Congress calls its investigation into election fraud.
Gandhi claims the probe centered on the Mahadevapura assembly segment in Karnataka’s Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency during the 2024 general elections.
Gandhi alleges that a total of 1,00,250 votes were “stolen” in Mahadevapura alone through five types of manipulation.
“I am confident that there are more than 100 such seats in India. What has happened here has happened in those seats as well,” he says. He argues that had the BJP secured 10-15 seats fewer, Narendra Modi would not have returned as Prime Minister, and the INDIA bloc would have formed the government.
Breakdown of Alleged Voter Fraud
Gandhi presents the following figures from the Congress investigation:
11,965 duplicate voters
40,009 voters with fake or invalid addresses
10,452 bulk or single-address voters
4,132 voters with invalid photos
33,692 voters who misused Form 6 for new voter registration
Under the category of duplicate voters, Gandhi claims names like Gurkeerat Singh Dang appeared on the electoral roll in four separate polling booths. He also points out cases where individuals were listed as voters in multiple states.
For fake addresses, he shows instances where voters were registered under nonsensical details such as ‘House Number 0’.
One house, numbered 35, allegedly had 80 registered voters under it, falling under the category of bulk voters.
In one example under misuse of Form 6, Gandhi mentions a 70-year-old woman, Shakun Rani, who was registered twice within two months.
Criticism of SIR and the Election Commission
Gandhi denounced the SIR as a tool to erase legitimate voters rather than verify them. “They know that we have caught their ‘chori’ and that is why SIR has come,” he says.
He adds, “SIR is an institutionalised chori. EC is openly colluding with the BJP to carry out this theft. SIR’s objective is to take away the voting rights of the poor.”
He emphasized that the Congress analysis focused solely on voter additions and not deletions, which he believes might be an even larger issue.
“We have caught just one method; we have not probed other methods,” he warns. Calling the practice treasonous, he asserts that those involved will be held accountable.
Personal Experience and Broader Allegations
Recalling his early political experiences, Gandhi says he has long understood election processes. “I understand elections and have been fighting polls myself for the last 20 years,” he states.
He adds that the Congress party grew suspicious after observing discrepancies in vote counts, especially in constituencies where large crowds attended rallies but few votes followed.
He cites Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh as examples. He also claims that in Maharashtra, new voters mysteriously appeared between Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, and their votes primarily benefited the BJP.
Lack of Transparency from the EC
Gandhi alleges that the Election Commission refused to provide digital voter data, offering only physical documents instead, which required manual verification.
He claims this was a deliberate attempt to hide irregularities. “The reason EC does not give digital data is that if it does so, its reality would be out,” Gandhi claims.
Official Response from the Election Commission
The Election Commission has responded by challenging Gandhi to submit a signed declaration validating his claims.
According to EC sources, failing to sign the declaration would suggest Gandhi doesn’t trust his own data, and in that case, they believe he owes the nation an apology for the “absurd allegations.”
In his closing remarks, Gandhi warns those allegedly involved in the voter fraud that justice will catch up with them. “Time will come, we will catch you and you will not be spared. It is critical that we expose voter chori,” he says.
He reiterates his position on social media, stating: “Vote theft is not just an election scam, it is a big fraud committed against the Constitution and democracy.”
Gandhi adds, “Criminals of the country should listen – times will change, punishment will definitely be given.”
