Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has reignited accusations of ‘vote chori’ (vote theft), this time targeting the BJP and the Election Commission (EC) in Haryana. Gandhi presented a large volume of documents, alleging the 2023 Haryana assembly elections were rigged. He claimed the existence of approximately 25 lakh fake voters, constituting about 12.5% of the state’s 2 crore electorate. Further allegations included the removal of 3.5 lakh voters, purportedly Congress supporters, along with claims of 19 lakh bulk voters, 5.21 lakh duplicates, and 93,000 invalid addresses. Gandhi even presented a case where a Brazilian model’s photograph was allegedly used on multiple voter ID cards for fraudulent voting. However, an investigative report has cast doubt on these claims. Reporters visiting some of the addresses cited by Gandhi found that families spanning multiple generations resided at single house numbers, with residents confirming they voted without issue. In one instance, a house alleged to have 66 voters was found to be a large family compound with multiple dwellings on the same plot, and another with 501 voters was identified as a property housing generations of a family along with schools and businesses. Regarding the Brazilian model photo, interviewed voters confirmed they possessed valid IDs and voted legitimately, though the local election official expressed ignorance about the photo’s appearance on the rolls. The Election Commission has urged Gandhi to present his evidence to the High Court, noting the Congress party has not filed any appeals concerning the final electoral rolls. The EC also addressed the ‘zero address’ issue, explaining it’s common in areas where house numbers aren’t assigned. Analysts suggest these allegations are a political strategy for Gandhi to deflect blame for repeated electoral defeats and secure his leadership within the Congress party, especially after expected wins in state elections did not materialize.
