In a dramatic escalation of his “vote chori” charge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on November 5 accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of masterminding what he called “the largest voter fraud in India’s democratic history” — alleging that 25 lakh fake votes were cast in the 2024 Haryana assembly elections.
Speaking at a packed press conference in Delhi, Gandhi said the “fabricated ballots” — roughly 12% of the state’s electorate — turned a “clear Congress majority” into a BJP victory.
“Haryana has two crore voters, and 25 lakh of them are fake. One out of every eight voters simply doesn’t exist,” Gandhi declared, claiming his party had “100% proof” of the manipulation.
Among the examples he presented was what he called “the most absurd evidence yet” — a Brazilian model whose photograph, he alleged, appeared 22 times on Haryana’s electoral rolls under different Indian names including Seema, Sweety, and Saraswati.
“This is not a mistake. This was a coordinated operation — a deliberate subversion of democracy,” Gandhi charged. “Every exit poll pointed to a Congress win. For the first time in Haryana’s history, postal ballots didn’t align with actual results. A plan was executed to flip the mandate.”
He also appeared to take a swipe at Chief Minister Nayab Saini, referring to a viral post-election clip. “Look at the smile on his face and the word ‘vyavastha’ (arrangement) he uses — that tells you everything,” he quipped.
EC dismisses charges as ‘baseless’
Officials in the Election Commission dismissed Gandhi’s accusations, terming them “baseless and misleading.” They said no formal appeals had been filed contesting the Haryana electoral rolls. Of the state’s 90 constituencies, only 22 election petitions are currently pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court — a figure EC officials said reflected “limited legal contention.”
‘BJP infiltrators, double votes, and House No. Zero’
Expanding his allegations, Gandhi claimed BJP functionaries were registered as voters in both Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
“A BJP leader — the vice-chairman of Palwal Zila Parishad — has 66 voters registered at his address. Another house has 500 voters. Dalchand, a BJP leader, votes in both UP and Haryana. A BJP sarpanch in Mathura does the same,” he alleged, calling the practice “institutionalized infiltration.”
He also flagged alleged misuse of voter categories meant for the homeless. “Hundreds of voters are listed under ‘House No. Zero,’” he said. “We physically verified many — these aren’t homeless citizens; they live comfortably in their homes. This isn’t a clerical error. This is a conspiracy.”
‘Abki baar, Bihar?’
Gandhi warned that the “Haryana model of vote theft” could be replicated in the upcoming Bihar elections.
“In Bihar, voters are mysteriously deleted from rolls but still living at their addresses. Final rolls are handed to parties at the last moment, leaving no time for verification. This isn’t about one state — it’s about the future of our democracy,” he said.
Vowing to continue his campaign, Gandhi insisted the fight transcended party lines. “This isn’t about Congress or BJP — it’s about every Indian’s right to cast a genuine vote and see it counted honestly,” he asserted.
