Rahul Gandhi Accuses Election Commission of Rigging Polls to Favour Ruling BJP, Calls It a Betrayal of Democracy
Opening the Lok Sabha debate on electoral reforms, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi delivered a sharply worded and symbolic address, accusing the Election Commission of India of colluding with those in power and enabling systematic voter suppression under the guise of bureaucratic process.
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| Image Source: Economic Times Screengrab of Sansad TV |
In a speech rich with metaphor but grounded in political accusation, Rahul Gandhi began with a reference to Mahatma Gandhi’s emphasis on khadi, positioning it as a symbol not merely of resistance but of people’s self-expression and unity.
“Khadi is not just a cloth. Khadi is the expression of the people of India,” he said, before drawing a parallel between fabric and democracy: “Each thread has no meaning on its own. But when they come together as a fabric, they can protect you, keep you warm, and express what you have in your heart. In the same way, our nation is also a fabric made up of 1.4 billion people, and the fabric is woven together by the vote.”
Rahul Gandhi then issued a pointed charge against the ruling dispensation and its ideological affiliates, accusing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of attempting a “wholesale capture” of Indian institutions following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
“After Gandhi's assassination, the next step was the wholesale capture of India's institutions,” he stated in Parliament, implicitly suggesting a long-term strategy to undermine democratic checks and balances.
While the BJP benches attempted to interject—Union Minister Kiren Rijiju notably complained mid-speech that Gandhi had not addressed electoral reform directly—the Congress leader maintained that he had presented proof of the Election Commission’s alleged collusion with the ruling establishment.
His remarks echoed his earlier public claims that the SIR process was being manipulated to disproportionately target voters in certain constituencies, place excessive pressure on Booth Level Officers, and exclude genuine electors from the rolls.
Rahul Gandhi had previously described the deaths of BLOs as “collateral damage” of a deliberate strategy to discourage democratic participation.
The BJP’s defence of the electoral process was led in part by counter-narratives in both Houses of Parliament, including references by several party MPs to historic Congress-era decisions on Vande Mataram and electoral precedent. BJP MP Dr.
Sanjay Jaiswal controversially claimed that the “first vote theft” occurred in 1947, referring to the selection of Jawaharlal Nehru as prime minister over Sardar Patel.
Elsewhere, Congress MP Manish Tewari called for structural changes in the Election Commission’s appointment process, proposing the inclusion of the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India in the selection panel.
He also noted that it was “unfortunate” that so many members now felt compelled to question the EC’s neutrality.
His remarks come at a time when political tensions over voter list revisions, institutional independence, and electoral integrity are intensifying, with the Congress and other opposition parties mounting coordinated challenges to what they allege is a steady erosion of democratic norms under the current administration.