New Delhi: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, addressed a special party briefing at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, reiterating his allegations of “vote theft” and raising questions over the functioning of the Chief Election Commissioner . Rahul Gandhi claimed that concerns he had raised over the electoral process for the past three years had now been acknowledged by two Election Commissioners. He alleged that the Election Commission had earlier rejected the Congress party’s claims but that the objections reportedly raised by the two commissioners indicated serious concerns within the institution. He said that “This is my commitment on behalf of the people of India, the Congress party and the Opposition. No matter what happens, we are not going to let this crime go unanswered,” Gandhi said. LOP demanded the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar .
He alleged that anti-incumbency remains a major political force but has not had the expected impact on the Narendra Modi-led government, and linked this, in his view, to concerns surrounding the electoral system.
Gandhi further alleged that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were to “dismantle India’s voting system”, the Congress and the Opposition would not remain silent.
Rahul Gandhi’s Key Allegations
Rahul Gandhi made several serious allegations during the briefing, including:
- He claimed that the 2024 Lok Sabha election and subsequent Assembly elections were fraudulent, alleging irregularities in the electoral process.
- He alleged that the country’s voter lists have become corrupted, with people being removed and added, resulting in what he described as “complete chaos”.
- He said the Election Commission had “lost control” over the voter list, which he claimed was earlier properly maintained.
- Gandhi alleged that public confidence in the electoral process was declining and said that this trust needed to be restored.
- He called on Gyanesh Kumar to “confess his crime” and become a witness in what he described as “vote theft”.
Gandhi also said that increasing public questioning of the electoral process was making it difficult for the BJP to secure the kind of electoral majorities it had obtained previously.
Timeline Cited by Rahul Gandhi
During the briefing, Rahul Gandhi referred to a series of events to support his allegations. He said he had been raising the issue of “vote theft” for nearly three years and had repeatedly presented what he described as evidence.
According to Gandhi:
- December 2023: He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi enacted a law granting immunity to Gyanesh Kumar, whom Gandhi accused of working in favour of the government.
- February 7, 2025: Gandhi said he held a press conference in Maharashtra concerning alleged “vote theft”.
- February 17, 2025: He said he submitted a dissent note to the Prime Minister regarding the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar, but that it was ignored.
- August 7, 2025: He held a press conference regarding alleged irregularities in Mahadevapura.
- August 16–September 1, 2025: The Congress conducted the “Voter Rights Journey”, during which Gandhi said the issue of alleged electoral irregularities was raised.
- September 18, 2025: Gandhi said he held a press conference concerning alleged “vote theft” in Aland and claimed that such irregularities were taking place in a centralised manner.
- From October 28, 2025: Gandhi said the remaining two Election Commissioners began writing letters raising concerns.
- November 5, 2025: He said the Congress held a press conference concerning alleged electoral irregularities in Haryana.
- September 23, 2026: Gandhi referred to a report published by The Indian Express, which he said revealed that two Election Commissioners had raised objections 14 times over a period of 10 months concerning various decisions of the Election Commission.
Gandhi further claimed that the two Election Commissioners had raised concerns suggesting that the sanctity of the vote was under threat. He alleged that Gyanesh Kumar was responsible for the situation and said his appointment was made by the Prime Minister.
He also alleged that the objections raised by the two Election Commissioners were ignored because, according to him, Gyanesh Kumar had the backing of senior political leaders, including the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.