Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ charge sparks sharp BJP reaction in New Delhi
New Delhi — Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stirred a fresh political storm on Tuesday with his “vote chori” allegation against the BJP over the 2024 Haryana Assembly polls. He claimed massive voter fraud and accused the Election Commission of acting under BJP’s influence.
Speaking at the Congress headquarters, Gandhi unveiled what he called “The H Files”. He alleged that 25 lakh fake voters existed in Haryana. He showed examples, including one of a Brazilian model’s photo used across 223 voter IDs. He said another person cast 22 votes across 10 booths. “One in eight voters in Haryana are fake,” Gandhi claimed. “This is a direct attack on democracy.”
He urged Gen Z voters to “take this seriously” and accused the BJP of “stealing the future of the youth.” Gandhi also claimed the Election Commission ignored complaints from Congress candidates. “The system is compromised. We will fight to protect the people’s mandate,” he said, just a day before Bihar votes in another key state election.
The BJP responded swiftly. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju dismissed Gandhi’s claims as “baseless drama” and advised him to “talk about serious national issues.” Rijiju mocked Gandhi’s repeated foreign visits, saying, “During elections, he goes abroad; during Parliament sessions, he travels secretly to Cambodia or Thailand. Now he returned from Colombia with new fake ideas.”
Rijiju also brought up Minta Devi — a woman whose photo Gandhi had used earlier — saying she had “rebuked Congress” for misusing her picture. “This shows his desperation. He has nothing left in Bihar, so now he drags Haryana to divert attention,” Rijiju said.
He accused Gandhi of aligning with “anti-India forces” and attempting to “mislead Gen Z.” “Rahul Gandhi’s games will never work. India’s youth are smart and stand with Prime Minister Modi,” Rijiju declared. Taking a dig, he added, “He often says the atom bomb will explode. But where is his explosion? He never takes any issue seriously.”
BJP spokesperson Radhika Khera joined the counterattack online. Responding to Gandhi’s mention of a “Brazilian model,” she quipped, “A vote was also cast in Hindustan by an Italian woman. Do you know her name?”— a reference to Sonia Gandhi.
In Haryana, the BJP won 48 out of 90 seats to secure its third straight term in 2024. Congress trailed with 37 seats, missing the majority mark by eight. Gandhi said BJP’s victory margin in eight seats was only around 22,000 votes, while fake voters numbered 25 lakh. “The numbers don’t lie,” he said.
Political analysts see Gandhi’s press conference as an attempt to revive Congress’s narrative ahead of upcoming polls. Meanwhile, BJP leaders framed his comments as a “frustrated attempt” to stay relevant.
As both parties trade accusations, the Election Commission faces renewed public scrutiny. With Bihar heading to polls this week, the war of words between Congress and BJP shows no sign of cooling down.
