Rahul Gandhi Exposes Alleged Election Rigging Blueprint in Maharashtra
Allegations of Electoral Manipulation
New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has accused the upcoming 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections of being a 'blueprint for rigging democracy.' He warned that similar 'match-fixing' tactics could soon be seen in Bihar and other regions where the BJP is struggling.
Gandhi emphasized that such manipulated elections are detrimental to democracy, stating that while the cheating party may secure a victory, it ultimately undermines institutions and erodes public trust.
In a post on X, he detailed the alleged electoral fraud, outlining a systematic approach: the inclusion of fake voters, inflated voter turnout, facilitation of bogus voting, and subsequent concealment of evidence.
"How to steal an election? The Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 serve as a model for undermining democracy," he remarked, sharing an op-ed from The Indian Express.
His article delineates the steps involved: Step 1 involves rigging the panel responsible for appointing the Election Commission; Step 2 includes adding fictitious voters to the rolls; Step 3 is about inflating voter turnout; Step 4 targets bogus voting in areas crucial for BJP victories; and Step 5 focuses on hiding the evidence.
Gandhi pointed out that the BJP's desperation in Maharashtra is evident, likening electoral rigging to match-fixing, where the cheaters may win but at the cost of institutional integrity and public confidence. He urged all concerned citizens to examine the evidence and demand accountability.
He warned that the tactics used in Maharashtra could soon spread to Bihar and other states where the BJP faces challenges.
In his article titled 'Match-fixing Maharashtra,' Gandhi asserted that voter rolls and CCTV footage should be utilized to bolster democracy rather than being obscured. He stressed that the Indian populace deserves assurance that no records will be discarded.
Expressing skepticism about the integrity of Indian elections, he stated, "Not every time, not everywhere, but often. I am not referring to minor cheating, but to large-scale rigging that involves the capture of our national institutions."
He noted that while some past election results may have appeared questionable, the outcomes of the 2024 Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections are particularly alarming.
Gandhi claimed that the reported voter turnout figures were artificially inflated, citing Election Commission data that showed a significant increase in registered voters from 8.98 crore in 2019 to 9.70 crore by November 2024, a rise that exceeds the estimated adult population in Maharashtra.
He highlighted the unusual increase in voter turnout on election day, where the reported turnout surged from 58.22% at 5 PM to 66.05% by the next morning, a jump of 7.83 percentage points, equating to approximately 76 lakh voters, which is significantly higher than previous elections.
Additionally, he pointed out that new voters were added in only 12,000 booths across 85 constituencies, all of which were won by the BJP.