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The political climate in India has further polarised just ahead of voting in Bihar, as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Parliament of India) and prominent Indian politician Rahul Gandhi accused the ruling BJP of orchestrating what he called “one of the biggest electoral frauds in Indian democratic history.”  Citing what his party calls “H Files” -- a cache of alleged evidence -- Rahul Gandhi claimed that 25 lakh fake votes swung the 2024 Haryana Assembly election, which the BJP narrowly won. Image from LoP Rahul Gandhi's powerful presentation. Via: INC India In an extended presentation in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi alleged that voter rolls were manipulated at scale. He cited examples of duplicate voter IDs, including 22 instances of a Brazilian model’s photo being used under different names like “Sweety” and “Seema,” and a separate case of one woman’s face appearing on 223 voter IDs across polling booths.  “This isn’t random -- it’s industrialis...

The seven-day deadline set by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for Congress MP and India's Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to substantiate his allegations of large-scale voter exclusion has lapsed without compliance.  Rahul Gandhi did not submit any signed affidavit or documentary evidence , as was explicitly demanded by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar during a press conference on August 17.  Image Source: INC India The ultimatum, presented in direct response to Gandhi’s public accusation that over 1.5 lakh names had been illegally removed from electoral rolls, was unambiguous: either file a sworn declaration with supporting facts or issue a public apology. As far as the machine-readable voter list is concerned, the Supreme Court has already said in 2019 that this could be a violation of voter privacy. - Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar #BiharSIR2025 | #ElectionCommission | @ECISVEEP | @SpokespersonECI | #GyaneshKumar pic.twitte...

India’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday dismissed opposition allegations of “vote theft” in poll-bound Bihar; said the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is rooted in law and transparency; and underlined that the Election Commission of India (ECI) “has no opponents and no supporters.” Image Source: Election Commission of India The remarks came at the Commission’s first press conference since the controversy erupted over the SIR exercise, which opposition parties--including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his ongoing "Voter Adhikar Yatra"--have described as a conspiracy to “steal elections.”  The CEC countered these claims by stressing that electoral rolls were being prepared in full consultation with voters, Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) nominated by political parties. According to the CEC, more than 7 crore voters in Bihar, supported by 1.6 lakh BLAs from across parties, have jointly prepare...

India's Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will launch the “Vote Adhikar Yatra” from Sasaram in Bihar tomorrow; the 16–day march will cover Dehri on Sone in Rohtas; Kutumba, Aurangabad, Deo and Guraru; Punama Wazirganj, Gaya to Barbigha via Nawada; Sheikhpura to Munger via Sikandra and Jamui; Munger to Bhagalpur via Sultanganj; Kursela to Purnia via Korha and Katihar; Purnia to Narpatganj via Chandni Chowk and Araria; Supaul to Darbhanga via Phulparas, Sakri and Madhubani; Darbhanga to Sitamarhi via Muzaffarpur; Sitamarhi to West Champaran via Motihari; West Champaran to Siwan via Gopalganj; Chapra, Saran to Arrah in Bhojpur, culminating in Patna on September 1 -- a 1,300 kilometre route that opposition leaders say is meant to safeguard the very soul of Indian democracy itself. Image Source: INC India Rahul Gandhi framed the march as a defence of the most basic democratic principle: “one person, one vote.” In a post on X, he wrote, “We are bring...

India's Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met Bihar voters allegedly declared “dead” in the draft roll after the state’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR); accused the Election Commission of disenfranchisement; BJP countered with charges over Sonia Gandhi’s voter registration before citizenship; Congress announced a state-wide protest yatra; and the Supreme Court described Bihar’s SIR as “voter friendly.” Image Source: Mr. Nehr_who? Sharing a video on X with electors omitted from the revised roll, Rahul Gandhi wrote that he had “never had the chance to have tea with ‘dead people’” and thanked the poll body for the “unique experience.”  The Election Commission’s August 1 draft roll, published after the SIR exercise, lists 7.24 crore electors—down 65.6 lakh from the 7.9 crore registered before June 24.  EC data attributes the reduction to 22 lakh dead electors, 36 lakh permanently shifted or untraceable, and 7 lakh duplicate registrations or non-submissions of ...

IndianRepublic.in In a display of solidarity, Congress President and veteran Indian politician Mallikarjun Kharge hosted a dinner in New Delhi for members of the INDIA bloc, joined by prominent opposition leaders. The gathering came amid a coordinated pushback against the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and allegations of large-scale voter list manipulation in the 2024 general elections. Earlier in the day, MPs from multiple parties staged a united protest march toward the Election Commission, calling for transparent voter rolls and the protection of the “one person, one vote” principle. Via - INC India. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hosted Opposition leaders for a strategy dinner in New Delhi. To follow latest newsbreaks related to India's ...

The Opposition parties of India on Monday staged an unprecedented protest march from Parliament House to the Election Commission (EC) headquarters over what they allege is a systematic attempt to disenfranchise voters in Bihar ahead of the state’s assembly elections later this year.  The protest, triggered by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted in Bihar, also raised broader questions over electoral integrity in India. Image Source: INC India Leaders including Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, DMK’s T. R. Baalu, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs Derek O’Brien and Sagarika Ghose were among those detained by Delhi Police during the march.  They were stopped midway at Transport Bhawan, less than a kilometre from Nirvachan Sadan, and transported in buses to the Parliament Street police...

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has intensified his challenge to the Election Commission of India. He has alleged that it aided the BJP in “voter theft” during the 2024 general elections and subsequent state polls. In a public statement, Gandhi listed five questions for the ECI: why the opposition has not received the digital voter list; why CCTV and video footage are being deleted; why fake and duplicate voters remain on rolls; why opposition leaders face intimidation; and whether the Commission now acts as an “agent” of the BJP. File Photo Source: KnowTheNation on X Gandhi said India’s democracy was “priceless” and warned of “dire” consequences if its integrity continued to be undermined. His remarks follow claims that 1,00,250 fraudulent entries were created in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura assembly segment, allegedly benefiting the BJP’s candidate. The figures, presented at a press conference, cited duplicate voters, invalid addresses, bulk registrations at single locations, and misuse o...

IndianRepublic.in In a rare show of solidarity, prominent leaders of India's opposition parties gathered for a private dinner at Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s official residence on Thursday. The meeting came amid united protests in Parliament over the electoral rolls review in Bihar, which has led to repeated disruptions. The evening brought together a host of political heavyweights, and showed the opposition’s plan to coordinated action on this key national issues. Leaders of the INDIA bloc arrive at Rahul Gandhi’s residence for a high-profile dinner aimed at showcasing opposition unity.

India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has escalated his party’s challenge to the legitimacy of the 2024 general elections. He has alleged large-scale voter fraud and data manipulation.  Image Source: The Protagonist on X In a detailed press conference, the leader presented what he described as documentary proof of electoral roll irregularities and called on the Election Commission to initiate proceedings.  The full video of the press event is available below.  #VoteChori हमारे लोकतंत्र पर Atom Bomb है। pic.twitter.com/jcLvhLPqM6 — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 7, 2025 ALSO READ:  SPOTLIGHT: India’s Election Integrity Faces Political Scrutiny Amid LoP Rahul Gandhi's Vote Theft Allegations

The integrity of India’s electoral process has come under intense political scrutiny following allegations from the opposition Congress party of systematic voter fraud during the 2024 general elections.  Senior party leaders, led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, have accused the Election Commission of manipulating electoral rolls in key constituencies. This pointed charge has triggered widespread controversy and institutional response across several Indian states. Image Source: Dr Nimo Yadav on X In a public address this week, the opposition claimed to possess documentary evidence of irregularities affecting more than 100,000 votes in a single constituency in Karnataka.  The alleged discrepancies cited included duplicate voter entries, unverifiable addresses, overcrowded voter registrations at single locations, and inconsistent photographic identification on the electoral rolls.  The opposition has described the materials as evidence of large-scale m...

Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal on Monday issued a fiery rebuke of the Indian government, accusing it of evading serious questions about Chinese incursions and branding critics as “anti-national.”  His remarks follow an observation by the Supreme Court on LoP Rahul Gandhi, which asked whether a “true Indian” would suggest China had occupied Indian territory--prompting outrage from the opposition and celebration within the BJP. Image Source: Anand Singh on X Venugopal, posting on X, declared, “When Parliament goes silent, the streets must echo. Asking questions about Chinese aggression is not sedition—it is patriotism.”   He condemned the government’s alleged failure to defend India’s territorial integrity and accused it of using nationalism as a shield for silence.  “In Modi’s India, asking questions is anti-national, silence is patriotism, and the badge of a ‘true Indian’ goes to the blind, the spineless, and the fearful,” Venugopal wrote. The row erupted afte...

A sharp remark from the Supreme Court of India questioning LoP Rahul Gandhi’s comment on Chinese troop incursions has intensified the political standoff between the BJP and the Congress, with both parties clashing over issues of national security and democratic expression.  The Court, while staying a defamation case against Gandhi, asked, “If you are true Indian, you wouldn't say such a thing?”-- referring to his assertion that China had occupied 2,000 sq km of Indian territory. File Photo Source: INC Gen Sec Jairam Ramesh on X The BJP seized on the observation to brand the Leader of Opposition “anti-national,” with leaders accusing him of demoralising the armed forces and damaging India’s diplomatic stance.  BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said the Court’s remark confirms that Gandhi is “a certified anti-national,” adding that his statements support adversarial narratives and risk India's global image. In response, the Congress framed the episode as a deflection tactic, launc...