In a powerful address at the 'Our Vote, Our Right, Our Fight' rally in Bengaluru, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has called on the Election Commission of India (ECI) to release electronic voter lists and video recordings from the past decade. He warned that failure to comply would be seen as concealing electoral fraud. Gandhi's demand comes amid allegations of election manipulation, which he claims were orchestrated in collusion with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Gandhi pointed to a specific instance in Karnataka, alleging that the result of a Lok Sabha seat was manipulated, describing it as a "criminal act against the people of the state." He emphasized the need for accountability, stating, "The ECI officials who enrolled 1,000 to 15,000 fake voters on the rolls must be held accountable. The truth regarding the Mahadevapura Assembly segment must come out."
The Congress leader's call for transparency is rooted in the belief that the electronic data of all Indian voters is crucial evidence. He warned that destroying such data would be equivalent to destroying evidence, a punishable crime. Gandhi further asserted, "If the electronic data of the entire country is made available, I will prove that Prime Minister Narendra Modi became PM through fraudulent means."
Gandhi's allegations extend beyond Karnataka. He claimed that had the BJP lost 25 seats, Narendra Modi would not have become Prime Minister. He cited instances where BJP candidates won by narrow margins, suggesting that these victories were the result of electoral fraud. "In one seat, we have already proven fraud. In all 25 crucial seats, BJP candidates won by a margin of around 35,000 votes," he alleged.
The foundation of Gandhi's argument lies in the principle of "One Man, One Vote," a cornerstone of the Indian Constitution. He accused the BJP and Prime Minister Modi of attacking this principle during the last election, suppressing constitutional institutions, and attempting to dismantle the Constitution itself. He recounted a peculiar incident in Maharashtra, where after the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP alliance won the state elections "magically," despite the Congress alliance's earlier victory in the Lok Sabha.
Gandhi's suspicions were further fueled by internal surveys conducted by his party in Karnataka, which predicted a win in 15 to 17 Lok Sabha seats. However, the Congress ended up winning only nine seats. This discrepancy led Gandhi to question the legitimacy of the election results. "We demanded soft copies of the voters' list — the ECI refused. We asked for video recordings — they rejected the request and even went on to change the rules," he lamented.
