In a politically charged development, Congress leader and Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has made sensational allegations of large-scale voter fraud across India since the 2024 general elections. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on August 7, 2025, Mr. Gandhi claimed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has been actively complicit with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in manipulating the country’s electoral rolls.

Describing the revelations as an "atom bomb", Mr. Gandhi said that his party has uncovered substantial evidence of vote chori (vote theft) in several parliamentary constituencies. Though he did not release complete documentation, he presented what he called "initial evidence", suggesting that further disclosures will follow in coming days.

A Pattern of Manipulation?

The Congress party alleges that electoral rolls in several states have been deliberately tampered with, featuring fake voters, fictitious names, and non-existent addresses. Rahul Gandhi claimed that an internal investigation by Congress found that over 40,000 fake or invalid addresses were registered in Karnataka alone — a politically significant state where close electoral battles have recently taken place.

He stated, “What we are seeing is not just a clerical error or administrative mishap. This is deliberate and systematic vote fraud. It’s part of a collusive mechanism between BJP and ECI to rig democracy.”

According to Gandhi, this pattern is not limited to Karnataka, and the Congress is gathering similar evidence from other states where close contests were held.

Rahul Gandhi’s “Atom Bomb” Evidence

Last week, Mr. Gandhi triggered speculation by stating he would soon drop an "atom bomb" of evidence that would expose "vote chori at an unprecedented scale". His press conference on August 7 was the first step in that direction.

While the full dossier remains unreleased, he presented select images, documents, and roll excerpts that allegedly show:

• Multiple entries for the same individual in different constituencies.

• Addresses that don’t exist on ground verification.

• Clusters of fake voters in high-stakes seats.

• Voter IDs issued to untraceable individuals.

Rahul Gandhi said the findings were cross-verified by Congress party workers conducting field checks in various states, particularly in urban districts of Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Allegation of BJP–ECI Nexus

A key charge levelled by Gandhi is the alleged collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission. “The ECI has become an extension of the BJP’s campaign office. It has not acted on hundreds of complaints filed by opposition parties during and after the 2024 election,” he said.

He also questioned why, despite repeated complaints, there was no proper auditing of electoral rolls, nor any action taken to delete clearly fake entries that had been flagged multiple times.

Gandhi demanded that a parliamentary probe or an independent judicial investigation be launched into the working of the ECI during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Karnataka in Focus

The revelation of 40,000 fake voter addresses in Karnataka adds fuel to the fire, given that the state was a major battleground in 2024. The BJP and Congress were locked in neck-to-neck races in several constituencies, where margins of victory were often less than 10,000 votes.

Congress party officials claim that their analysis shows a correlation between the fake entries and the booths where BJP won narrowly.

In response, the Karnataka State Election Commission has neither confirmed nor denied the allegations but has stated that any irregularities must be formally submitted in writing for review.

Political Reactions Pour In

The BJP has categorically denied all allegations, accusing Rahul Gandhi of spreading misinformation and attempting to undermine democratic institutions. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “Congress is preparing an excuse for its future electoral failures by fabricating stories of fraud. The Election Commission is a constitutional body, and dragging it into politics is shameful.”

Meanwhile, other opposition leaders have backed Gandhi’s call for greater electoral transparency. Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, and DMK leaders have called for a national audit of voter rolls, especially in urban districts and migrant-heavy areas.

EC Yet to Respond Formally

As of now, the Election Commission of India has not issued a formal response to the allegations. However, sources within the ECI claim that no large-scale discrepancies have been reported officially, and the rolls are updated through a standard verification process that includes public notice, field verification, and appeals.

But critics argue that the existing verification system is not equipped to detect politically motivated mass manipulation, especially when done digitally and on a large scale.

Congress’s Next Steps

Rahul Gandhi has promised to release more detailed documents in the days to come, possibly including:

• Field verification videos

• Affidavits from affected voters

• District-wise analysis of fake entries

• Booth-level comparisons from 2024 results

Congress is also expected to file a petition with the Supreme Court demanding a court-monitored audit of electoral rolls across key states.

Gandhi concluded by saying, “If the people’s vote is being stolen systematically, then we are not in a democracy — we are in an illusion of one.”

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