Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi Slams EC For Singling Him Out Over Vote Theft Affidavit While Sparing BJP’s Claims

Patna: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday questioned why the Election Commission (EC) was singling him out to submit an affidavit on his vote theft allegations, while the BJP, which had made similar claims recently, was not being held to the same standard.

Rahul Gandhi Slams EC’s Affidavit Demand

“Why is the EC asking only me for an affidavit? The data I used is from the Election Commission. Why isn’t the BJP being asked the same when it made similar allegations just days ago?” he asked.

The yatra, aimed at defending voter rights, will span over 20 districts in 16 days, culminating in a major INDIA bloc rally in Patna on September 1.

Responding to the Chief Election Commissioner’s press conference, Gandhi alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls is being misused to manipulate voter lists and suppress votes, especially of the poor and marginalized. He also raised concerns over the government’s move to amend laws related to CCTV surveillance during the election process, questioning its motive.

Rahul Gandhi Warns Bihar Against Poll Fraud

“This is not an isolated incident. Votes were stolen in the Lok Sabha elections, and the same happened in assembly elections across the country,” Gandhi claimed. “Now, they are trying to do the same in Bihar. But the people of Bihar will not allow it — because for the poor, their vote is their only power,” he added. Gandhi pointed to discrepancies in Maharashtra’s electoral rolls as an example. “Our alliance won the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. But just four months later, the NDA won the assembly polls. How? Because over one crore new voters were added in that short time. Most of the seats won by the BJP were in areas where these additions happened,” he alleged.

He reiterated his earlier charge regarding Karnataka’s Mahadevapura Assembly segment, part of the Bengaluru Central constituency, claiming that over one lakh votes were manipulated to ensure a BJP win. The rally saw a strong show of opposition unity, with top INDIA bloc leaders standing alongside Gandhi. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav called on people to rise against those “stealing votes” and urged all INDIA bloc parties to work in unison to defeat the NDA in upcoming elections. “We must chase away those who steal votes. Only by working together can we strengthen democracy and remove the BJP,” Lalu said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in a fierce attack, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi “a very dangerous person”, accusing him of threatening democratic institutions.

RJD leader and former Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav said: “This is not just theft — it is robbery of votes. Modi, Shah, and the EC must listen — we will not let democracy be destroyed in Bihar. We will fight for the people.” Other INDIA bloc leaders present at the launch included CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Vikassheel Insaan Party’s Mukesh Sahani, CPI(M)’s Subhashini Ali, and CPI’s P Sandosh Kumar — all united in denouncing alleged vote theft.