Election Commission Refutes Rahul Gandhi's Voter Fraud Claims in Haryana Assembly Elections

BJP secured power in Haryana through electoral manipulation, duplicate voters and mass voting tactics, according to Rahul Gandhi's allegations.

New Delhi:

Following Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi's revelation of what he termed the "H-Bomb" - allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections - sources within the Election Commission of India (ECI) have countered that the Congress party failed to submit any appeals or objections regarding voter rolls during the formal revision process.

On Wednesday, Gandhi accused the ECI of manipulating votes at the BJP's direction, claiming approximately 25 lakh fraudulent votes existed in a state with roughly two crore registered voters - equivalent to "one in every eight voters" or 12.5 percent being fake entries.

Gandhi stated that while exit polls had predicted a Congress victory, the BJP maintained their hold on power through electoral manipulation, duplicate voter registrations and "bulk voting" practices.

Addressing these accusations, ECI sources dismissed the claims as unfounded and questioned Congress's own vigilance throughout the electoral process.

"What action did Congress polling agents take inside polling stations?" a senior official inquired.

"Polling agents are responsible for raising objections if a voter has already cast a ballot or if their identity appears questionable," the official explained.

Sources indicated that during the electoral roll revision period, Congress Booth Level Agents (BLAs) failed to file any claims or objections concerning alleged duplicate, relocated or deceased voters.

"Why didn't INC's BLAs raise claims and objections to prevent multiple entries?" ECI sources questioned, adding that the party also submitted no appeals during the revision phase.

The ECI highlighted that only 22 election petitions are currently pending in various High Courts across 90 Assembly constituencies in Haryana, which sources characterized as normal litigation volume for a state election of this magnitude.

Questioning the foundation of Rahul Gandhi's assertions that duplicate or fake voters benefited the BJP, the sources asked: "How has Rahul Gandhi determined which candidates these alleged fake voters supported?"

Sources also criticized Gandhi's position regarding the Statewide Intensive Revision (SIR) - a process designed to purify electoral rolls by eliminating duplicate, deceased, and migrated voters.

"Is he advocating for SIR to remove such entries or opposing it?" the ECI sources remarked.

Unveiling what he called the "H-Files," Gandhi shared video evidence suggesting irregularities in voter lists, including multiple voter IDs featuring identical photographs but different names. He also distributed footage of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini allegedly stating that "arrangements" had been made prior to the results - a comment Gandhi interpreted as indicating electoral manipulation.

"The Election Commission can eliminate duplicates instantaneously. Why don't they take action? Because they're assisting the BJP," Gandhi alleged.