Rahul Gandhi Accuses Election Commission of "Colluding" with BJP Over Alleged "Stolen" Votes

Strategic Insights -

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sparked a controversy on Thursday by claiming that the Election Commission of India colluded with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to steal 100,250 votes in the Mahadevapura assembly segment of Bangalore (Central) Parliamentary constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi presented a detailed break-up of the alleged irregularities, including 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 voters with fake and invalid addresses, and 4,132 voters with invalid photos. He also accused the Election Commission of not providing machine-readable data, which he claimed was essential for effective electoral management.

Key Takeaways:

  • Gandhi's presentation on alleged "stolen" votes in Mahadevapura assembly segment highlighted 100,250 irregularities, including 11,965 duplicate voters and 40,009 voters with fake and invalid addresses.
  • The Congress leader claimed that the Election Commission's refusal to provide machine-readable data was a sign of "collusion" with the BJP.
  • Gandhi accused the Election Commission of failing to deliver effective electoral management, leading to alleged vote theft in the Mahadevapura segment.
  • The incumbent BJP government won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with 240 seats, while the opposition INDIA bloc secured 234 seats.
  • Gandhi retorted to the Election Commission's request for a signed declaration and oath by saying, "I am a politician. What I say to people is my word. Take it as an oath."
  • The BJP denounced Gandhi's allegations as "irresponsible and shameless comments" attacking constitutional institutions under a larger conspiracy against India's democracy and Constitution.

Statistics:

  • 100,250 alleged irregularities in the Mahadevapura assembly segment.
  • 11,965 duplicate voters identified in the alleged irregularities list.
  • 40,009 voters with fake and invalid addresses.
  • 10,452 voters in groups of 60 or 70 with the same address.
  • 4,132 voters with invalid photos.
  • 3,692 voters who used Form 6 for registration, including 95, 96, and 98-year-old individuals.
  • BJP won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with a total of 240 seats.
  • Opposition INDIA bloc secured 234 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
  • BJP managed a lead of 114,000 votes in the Mahadevapura segment.

Sources:

  • HT Digital Content Services with permission from HT Chandigarh.