Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday, accused electoral authorities of overseeing a large-scale voter fraud in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura Assembly segment during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
During a press conference, Gandhi presented documents and research conducted by the Congress party, alleging that 1,00,250 votes in the Mahadevapura constituency were fraudulent. He claimed these included duplicate voter entries, fake and invalid residential addresses, and large numbers of voters registered at single addresses with no verifiable presence.
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Rahul Gandhi Alleges ‘Vote Theft’ Using Form 6 and Invalid Data
Gandhi alleged misuse of Form 6, used for registering new voters, stating that numerous invalid photos and suspicious addresses were identified in the rolls. “In some buildings, 50–60 names were listed, but only one family actually lives there,” he said.
He also questioned the voting patterns in states like Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, where he claimed anti-incumbency did not reflect in the results. “Anti-incumbency affects every party, but the BJP never seems to face it,” Gandhi added, citing discrepancies between exit polls and actual results.
Extending his claims beyond Karnataka, Gandhi cited voter data from Maharashtra and Haryana, alleging unusually high voter additions in a short span. “In Maharashtra, more voters were added in five months than in five years,” he said, adding that a sudden surge in voter turnout post-5 pm raised further doubts.
EC Demands Affidavit, Gandhi Reaffirms Allegations
Following Gandhi’s press conference, the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka issued a letter asking him to file a signed declaration under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The EC sought names of the electors Gandhi referred to so legal procedures could begin.
Gandhi responded publicly, saying, “What I say to the people is my word. Take it as an oath. This is your data, not ours. You haven’t denied its authenticity.”
He further accused the Election Commission of failing to refute the data presented and claimed the issue extended across multiple states.