A Growing Political Storm
New Delhi – A fierce political row has erupted in India after opposition parties, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of irregularities in the 2024 general elections.
The allegations have sparked heated debates in parliament, street protests, and legal challenges, with Gandhi claiming the irregularities favoured the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ECI and BJP have strongly denied the charges.
Protests and Detentions
On 12 August, several opposition MPs demanded a debate on the integrity of India’s electoral system, forcing parliament to adjourn.
A day earlier, Gandhi and dozens of opposition leaders were briefly detained in Delhi during a march to the ECI headquarters. Gandhi first raised the issue on 7 August and has since rallied support from hundreds of opposition lawmakers.
Rahul Gandhi’s Key Allegations
Gandhi accuses the ECI of large-scale voter list manipulation in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
He cited data from the Mahadevapura constituency in Bangalore Central, claiming the voter roll included:
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Over 100,000 manipulated entries
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Duplicate voters
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Invalid addresses
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Bulk registrations at single locations
He also claimed that CCTV footage from polling stations was deleted and highlighted an instance where 80 voters were registered at one address.
Gandhi alleges that such irregularities cost Congress at least 48 seats and violated the “one person, one vote” principle. He has demanded the release of digital voter rolls for public auditing.
The BBC has not independently verified these claims.
Election Commission and BJP Respond
The Election Commission called Gandhi’s accusations “absurd” and challenged him to either provide a sworn statement or apologise to the nation.
Its Karnataka unit said Congress did not file formal objections during the electoral roll revision before the 2024 elections. The ECI also noted that CCTV footage is retained for only 45 days after results are announced.
BJP leaders have accused Gandhi of damaging democratic institutions.
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Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called the protests “dangerous for democracy”.
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Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused the opposition of “defaming democracy” and undermining constitutional dignity.
Bihar Electoral Roll Controversy
The dispute comes amid a separate row over Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR), conducted between June and July 2025 to update the voter list for the first time since 2003.
Officials visited all 78.9 million registered voters in Bihar. The ECI said the process aimed to remove duplicate and deceased voters, but critics claim it disenfranchised many, especially migrants and minorities.
Draft rolls now show 72.4 million voters — 6.5 million fewer than before. The ECI says these removals include:
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2.2 million deceased voters
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700,000 duplicates
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3.6 million who migrated out of the state
Over 165,000 correction requests have been filed, and revisions are open until 1 September.
Supreme Court Involvement
India’s Supreme Court is hearing petitions demanding the publication of all deleted names with reasons. The court has said the dispute is mainly a “trust deficit” issue, but promised to “step in immediately” if mass voter exclusion is proven.
National-Level Allegations
On 12 August, Gandhi escalated his claims, alleging that vote manipulation is happening nationwide in a systematic way.
Citing the example of a 124-year-old voter listed in Bihar’s draft roll, he said:
“There are unlimited cases like that. Abhi picture baki hai [The story is not over yet].”
