Election Commission Challenges Rahul Gandhi to Prove Vote Theft Claims
The Election Commission has issued a challenge to Rahul Gandhi, urging him to substantiate his claims of vote theft or apologize to the nation. Following his allegations during a press conference, the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer has requested documentation to support his assertions. Gandhi's claims focus on alleged irregularities in Mahadevapura, where he suggests significant vote theft occurred. As the investigation unfolds, the credibility of his allegations is under scrutiny, raising questions about the integrity of the electoral process in Karnataka. This situation highlights the ongoing tensions in Indian politics as parties navigate the complexities of election integrity.
Aug 11, 2025, 14:15 IST
Election Commission's Stance on Allegations
The Election Commission announced on Monday that Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Congress member, still has the opportunity to either submit a formal declaration to substantiate his allegations of vote theft or apologize to the nation. The Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka has requested that Rahul Gandhi provide documents to support his claims against the Election Commission regarding "vote theft."
In a letter dated August 10, the Chief Electoral Officer stated that Gandhi asserted he possesses documents from the Election Commission's records, which he referenced during a press conference on August 7. These documents allegedly indicate that a voter named Shakun Rani voted twice based on figures shown by a polling officer. However, the electoral body noted that an initial investigation revealed that Shakun Rani denied voting twice. Furthermore, the CEO's office discovered that the tick-marked document presented by Gandhi was not issued by the polling officer, raising doubts about the authenticity of his claims.
The Karnataka CEO has urged Rahul Gandhi to provide relevant documents to substantiate his allegations for a thorough investigation by the Karnataka election authorities. Additionally, the Chief Electoral Officer of Haryana has sent a reminder to Gandhi, requesting him to make a sworn declaration that vote theft occurred. On August 7, during a press conference, Gandhi cited internal analysis, stating that the Congress party expected to win 16 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka but only secured nine.
He mentioned that the Congress party investigated seven unexpected losses, focusing particularly on Mahadevapura, where he alleged a vote theft of 100,250 votes. Presenting research on voting in Mahadevapura, Rahul Gandhi claimed that they identified vote theft through five different methods. These included duplicate voters, fake and invalid addresses, and a large number of voters registered at a single address in a building where 50-60 individuals supposedly reside. However, upon visiting, they found no record of residents, only a single family living there.