Rahul Gandi says Modi govt ‘elected with stolen votes’, demands release of ECI records
New Delhi: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has intensified his charges of collusion between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the ruling BJP, stating that over 1,00,000 votes were “stolen” in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura assembly segment during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing a “Vote Adhikar” rally in Bengaluru, Gandhi said that instead of threatening opposition leaders with demands for affidavits, the ECI should release machine-readable voter lists and preserve CCTV footage. “Why is ECI destroying video evidence? Why is it committing massive fraud in the voter list? Why is it behaving like an agent of the BJP?” he questioned.
Rahul Gandhi reiterated his claim that the Congress lost the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha seat due to vote theft, despite winning seven out of eight assembly segments in the constituency. “Every officer and Election Commissioner must understand clearly that here (in Karnataka) one Lok Sabha constituency has been stolen. This is a criminal act against the people of Karnataka and the government of Karnataka must investigate this crime and take action,” he said.
Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was “elected with stolen votes,” adding that access to electronic voter data and videography would prove seats were rigged not only in Karnataka but across India. “If we get the electronic data, we will prove that the Prime Minister has been elected with stolen votes.
“Narendra Modi is the PM because of a margin of 25 seats. We have proven that one seat was stolen. I am saying with guarantee that if the ECI gives us electronic records and videography record, we will prove that not only one seat was stolen in Karnataka, but more seats were stolen in entire India,” he said.
The ECI responded by asking Gandhi to file his claims in an affidavit or apologise. Gandhi countered, saying, “I have already taken an oath inside Parliament holding the Constitution. Today, when people are questioning the Election Commission based on our data, the ECI has shut its website in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar — because they know that if people start questioning, their entire structure will collapse.”
