- 08 August, 2025
New Delhi, August 8, 2025 — In a sharp critique aimed at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI), Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged systematic manipulation of electoral processes across India. Citing specific irregularities in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Gandhi claimed that the BJP had subverted democracy by influencing election officials, tampering with voter lists, and pressuring civil servants.
Addressing a packed press conference at the Congress headquarters, Gandhi began by stating, “This press meet is not just about the opposition; it is about safeguarding the democratic rights of every Indian citizen.” He was accompanied by key Congress leaders including Jairam Ramesh, Supriya Shrinate, and K.C. Venugopal.
Claims of Vote Tampering in Maharashtra
Gandhi accused the BJP of orchestrating large-scale voter list manipulation in Maharashtra. “They removed 13 lakh names from the voter list. They knew they were losing, so they rigged it in advance,” he alleged, pointing to constituencies like Mumbai North Central and Pune.
According to Gandhi, Congress had gathered photographic and documentary evidence of this malpractice. “They eliminated the votes of our supporters. This is not democracy; this is dictatorship in disguise,” he remarked.
Targeted Bureaucracy and Alleged Threats
The Congress leader further alleged that a group of civil servants, who were supporting BJP from within the system, had become instruments of electoral rigging. He said Congress possessed evidence of ECI officials, including returning officers, acting under pressure to favour the ruling party.
“We have testimonies of officers who were coerced into altering results or faced threats of jail and transfers if they refused,” he said, describing the atmosphere as one of fear and suppression. Gandhi suggested that the ECI had become a “captured institution” and called for a judicial inquiry into its conduct.
Claims from Karnataka and National Implications
Turning to Karnataka, Gandhi claimed that similar electoral fraud had taken place in Bengaluru and other regions. “Votes were deleted en masse. If we are to protect Indian democracy, we cannot turn a blind eye,” he warned.
He also alleged that the ECI had instructed officials not to report early leads from the INDIA bloc in the general election and claimed the delay in announcing final results was a calculated move.
Judiciary and Media in the Crosshairs
Without naming anyone specifically, Gandhi suggested that key constitutional bodies, including the judiciary and media, had been undermined. He hinted at collusion and complicity by select members of the higher judiciary and raised concerns over the increasing arrests of opposition leaders.
He said, “This is not an attack on the Congress party. This is an attack on every Indian. And we are going to fight it—not through violence, but by demanding truth and transparency.”
Call for a Nationwide Movement
Rahul Gandhi concluded the briefing with a call to action. “We will take this fight to the streets. The public must know how their democracy is being hollowed out,” he declared. The Congress leader stated that the party would soon submit all evidence to the Supreme Court and demand a thorough investigation.
“We want the truth. We’re not asking for favours. If elections are fair, we’ll accept the results. But when democracy is attacked, silence is betrayal,” he said.
Source : Rahul Gandhi (YouTube channel)
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