Congress Leader Ashok Gehlot Accuses Election Commission of Allowing Vote Theft in Bihar Elections 2025

At 67.13 per cent, Bihar recorded its highest voter turnout since 1951. However, for the Congress, participating in the elections as part of the Mahagathbandhan alliance with Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, another disappointing result appears to be looming in its lengthy history of defeats.

Congress' Ashok Gehlot criticized the Election Commission for being a "mook darshak (mute spectator)" as Rs 10,000 was reportedly being distributed during polling, suggesting it constituted "vote chori (vote theft)" - an issue Rahul Gandhi has been actively campaigning against.

Official leads indicate the NDA is positioned to retain power, with BJP currently ahead in 84 seats of the 243-member Bihar assembly, and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU leading in 76. The opposition Mahagathbandhan is currently ahead in 50 seats, with Tejashwi Yadav's RJD leading in 34, Congress and CPI(ML)(L) in six each, and CPM in one.

"EC mookdarshak bana raha, usne kyun nahi roka. 10,000 bat rahe the chunav chalte hue, rokna chahiye tha, roka hi nahi unhone... Iska matlab jo Rahul Gandhi vote chori ki baat kar rahe the, vote chori kya hota hai, yahi toh hota hai (EC was a mute spectator. Why did it not stop when Rs 10,000 was being distributed while the polls were on? It did not stop it. Rahul Gandhi has been speaking about vote theft. What is vote theft? This is vote theft," said Gehlot, who serves as a poll observer for Congress in Bihar.

The distribution of Rs 10,000 to women beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (MMRY) in Bihar during the ongoing two-phase Assembly election stands in stark contrast to the Election Commission's past actions in Tamil Nadu under similar circumstances.

The MMRY, a state-funded assistance program covering 75 lakh women, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 26. Ten days later, on October 6, the Election Commission announced the Bihar polls.

Both the RJD and Congress protested against the implementation of the scheme, arguing it violated the Model Code of Conduct.

The Hindu reported that in Tamil Nadu, on two occasions over the past 20-odd years, electoral authorities had taken strong action against the implementation of two welfare schemes - one for farmers and another for beneficiaries of free color television sets distribution.

According to The Hindu, although these schemes were already being implemented well before the announcement of the poll schedule, the Election Commission halted them.

"Paisa bat raha hai aur chunaav aagoy ne kuch nahi kiya, mili bhagat thi unki, unse jo ruling party thi. Aur jo paise ka duruupyog ho raha hai aajkal (Money was being distributed and the poll body did nothing. They were in cahoots with the ruling party. And the way money power is being misused these days," lamented Ashok Gehlot, directly criticizing the election authorities.

The Congress leader further stated that his party and the RJD "do not have that kind of money".

"Aaj pratham drishti se yahi keh sakte hain 10,000, 10,000 rupaye mahilaon ko baatna, chunaav aayog ka koi rok na lagana aur khoob dhan-bal ka prayog hua hai (Today, prima facie, we can say that Rs 10,000 was being distributed among women. The Election Commission did not stop it. And money power was used," the Congress leader expressed.

"Chunaav jeeetna ek baat hai, chunaav jeet jaayenge ye log, NDA government jeet jaayegi, ban jaayegi sarkaar... par mera manna hai vichardhara jo congress ki hai woh desh ke hit main hai (It's one thing to win elections. They will win. The NDA government will be formed but I believe that the Congress' ideology is beneficial for the country," he emphasized.