Rahul Gandhi Accuses EC, Govt Of ‘Vote Chori’; Demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Narendra Modi government, alleging irregularities in the electoral process and claiming that they undermine the legitimacy of India’s democratic institutions.

Speaking at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, Gandhi linked what he called “vote chori” with the functioning of Parliament and the laws enacted by it.

“From vote chori comes kanoon chori. Today the vote is gone, the law-making system is gone,” Gandhi said, adding that if votes had been “stolen”, laws and institutional changes made by lawmakers elected through those votes would also be illegitimate.

Gandhi also accused Kumar of being responsible for what he described as chaos within the Election Commission and referred to reported differences between the CEC and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

The remarks came a day after a report alleged that the two Election Commissioners had raised objections on several issues over the previous 10 months during the rollout of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission had failed in its responsibility to protect voters’ rights and demanded Kumar’s immediate resignation.

Gandhi Calls Kumar ‘Deshdrohi’

Gandhi used the term “deshdrohi” while referring to Kumar and accused the CEC of undermining India’s democratic institutions.

“Because these are the truths. A person who attacks the vote, who fundamentally destroys India's democratic institution, is nothing other than a traitor,” Gandhi said.

He also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat were part of what he described as a “great conspiracy” involving electoral irregularities. A slide displayed during his address showed their photographs under the heading of alleged conspirators, while journalists and filmmakers were shown as “pawns”.

These were Gandhi’s political allegations and characterisations; they do not by themselves establish that the individuals named committed any wrongdoing.

Claims 2024 Elections Were ‘Rigged’

Gandhi further alleged that the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections had been manipulated, saying there was “100% certainty” of electoral rigging.

“There is already more than enough information to make this 100% certainty, not 99%, 100% certainty that Indian elections, Lok Sabha elections, 2024 election, Vidhan Sabha elections are all being rigged,” he said.

He argued that the Congress had been examining what he described as an unusual change in traditional anti-incumbency patterns and cited electoral outcomes in Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

Gandhi compared these trends with earlier political cycles, including the period following the 1971 Bangladesh war and the subsequent rise of anti-incumbency against then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

‘If Vote Is Destroyed, Constitution Has No Power’

Gandhi argued that the vote is the foundation of the country's constitutional system, with elections determining Parliament, Parliament making laws and laws establishing institutions.

“If the vote has been destroyed, then our Constitution has been destroyed. It no longer has its power. It no longer functions,” he said.

He maintained that his allegations were based on what he described as evidence rather than conjecture.

“I have always said it based on fact. I have not used conjecture, I have not used my imagination. I have used fact,” Gandhi said.

The Election Commission has previously maintained that differing views and observations form part of its internal deliberative process and has said that its final decisions, including those concerning SIR, were unanimous.