In a dramatic escalation of his political offensive, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has intensified his allegations of systematic "vote theft" against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), directly asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ascended to power through what he terms "chunav chori" (election theft). The accusations, which the BJP has swiftly dismissed as "lies," have ignited a fresh and bitter political firestorm, centering on the integrity of India's electoral process.
Gandhi's renewed attack comes in the wake of his detailed allegations last year concerning massive voter fraud in the Haryana assembly elections—charges he had then dramatically branded as a "hydrogen bomb" on Indian democracy.
Addressing reporters, Gandhi positioned his campaign as a clarion call to the nation's youth. "We have a lot of material; we will continue this process," he declared. "We will clearly show India's Gen Z and the youth that Narendra Modi became the PM through 'chunav chori' and that the BJP indulges in 'chunav chori'. We will make things clear, and there will be no doubt."
The Haryana "Wholesale Chori" Claim
At the heart of Gandhi's allegations is a specific claim about the Haryana elections. On Wednesday, armed with a presentation, he alleged that a staggering 25 lakh votes out of a total of two crore voters were fraudulent.
"This means one in eight voters in Haryana is fake, 12.5%," he stated, simplifying the complex allegation for public consumption. To lend credence to his claim, he cited a bizarre example: the photograph of a Brazilian model allegedly appearing in 22 separate entries in the Haryana voter list.
"This is not a small thing. How can a Brazilian woman's photograph be used for voting in Haryana?" Gandhi questioned, using the example to paint a picture of a deeply compromised electoral roll.
Election Commission and BJP in the Crosshairs
The Congress leader trained his sights on the Election Commission of India (ECI), questioning its silence on the matter. "I gave a presentation that the Haryana elections were not elections at all. A 'wholesale chori' occurred there. But there was no response by the EC to my allegations over fake votes and fake photographs," he said.
He accused the BJP's top leadership and the ECI of collectively "attacking the Constitution." In a move that signals his intent to broaden this narrative beyond Haryana, Gandhi alleged that the BJP would carry out similar "vote theft" in Bihar during the ongoing elections.
Gandhi also critiqued the media's coverage, suggesting it was focusing on "small examples, like a Brazilian woman voted," rather than the scale of the alleged fraud he was presenting.
BJP's Rebuttal and the Political Stakes
The BJP has categorically rejected all allegations. Party spokespersons have consistently labeled Gandhi's charges as baseless lies and a desperate attempt to undermine the massive electoral mandates the BJP has received. They have pointed to the ECI's established protocols and technological safeguards, like Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), as robust defenses against systemic fraud.
The exchange marks a significant hardening of the political discourse. By moving beyond general accusations of rigging to a direct claim that the Prime Minister's position is illegitimate, Rahul Gandhi is attempting to frame the 2024 general elections not just as a political battle, but as a fundamental fight for the soul of Indian democracy.
As the war of words intensifies, the pressure mounts on the Election Commission to offer a public and detailed rebuttal. Whether these allegations gain traction with the "Gen Z and youth" Gandhi aims to reach, or are dismissed as political theatrics, one thing is clear: the trust in India's electoral machinery has become the central battlefield for the nation's political rivals.
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