Rahul Gandhi Alleges Poll Fraud, Asserts Congress Has ‘100% Proof’ of EC’s Complicity in Karnataka

NEW DELHI, July 24: In a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the constitutional body has enabled large-scale electoral fraud in at least one constituency in Karnataka. Claiming possession of what he described as “100 per cent concrete proof” of voter manipulation, Gandhi warned the poll panel that it would be held accountable and should not expect to escape scrutiny.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Gandhi accused the Election Commission of failing in its constitutional duty to conduct free and fair elections. “Let me make it absolutely clear—this is not 90 per cent or 95 per cent speculation. We have irrefutable, 100 per cent evidence that cheating was allowed by the Election Commission in one particular constituency in Karnataka,” he said.

Gandhi suggested that the alleged electoral fraud was not limited to one region. “We only scrutinized a single constituency and what we found is shocking. Thousands of new voters have been added—many of them suspiciously aged 45, 50, even 65 years. These are not newly eligible voters. This is not an isolated case. I am convinced similar irregularities are being enacted across constituencies,” he claimed.

He further alleged a dual manipulation strategy involving both mass deletions and questionable additions to the voters’ lists. “Voter deletions, false inclusions, and unexplained demographic shifts are being carried out to tamper with electoral outcomes,” Gandhi stated.

Issuing a direct warning to the Election Commission and its officials, he said, “If the EC or its officers believe they can get away with this, they are mistaken. We will pursue this matter. They will be held accountable. This is not just about electoral fraud; it’s about subverting the very foundation of our democracy.”

The Congress leader also responded to questions regarding the special revision of electoral rolls underway in Bihar. He avoided commenting directly on RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s remarks on a possible election boycott, but reaffirmed his party’s commitment to exposing what he called a systematic attempt to manipulate voter lists.

“Let me reiterate—we will put this evidence out in black and white. People will see with their own eyes how votes are being stolen in this country,” Gandhi added, referencing his Wednesday statement where he alleged that elections are being “stolen” and that the Congress has decoded the “modus operandi” of voter fraud through a detailed case study in Karnataka.

The controversy comes amid growing opposition concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, where poll officials have reportedly found that over 52 lakh registered voters were not traceable during house-to-house verification. Opposition parties, including the Congress and the RJD, have alleged that the revision exercise is aimed at mass disenfranchisement in the state ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

The Congress has joined other opposition voices in Parliament, staging protests and demanding answers from the government and the Election Commission. The allegations, if substantiated, could trigger serious questions about the transparency and integrity of electoral processes in the world’s largest democracy.

As the political temperature rises and opposition leaders ramp up their scrutiny of the electoral machinery, all eyes will now be on whether the Congress makes good on its promise to release the purported evidence. The coming days are likely to see increased political friction, with electoral integrity at the heart of the debate.