Akhilesh, Congress raise alarm over ‘vote theft’, warn of looming emergency

In a sweeping chorus of political outrage and defiance, Opposition leaders across the country sharpened their attacks on the BJP, invoking allegations of “vote theft,” electoral misconduct, and an erosion of constitutional values — charges that have ignited a fresh wave of turbulence following the fiercely contested Bihar assembly elections.

Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav added his voice to the rising storm on Sunday, 16 November 2025 standing firmly behind Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claims of widespread manipulation in the electoral process. Bristling at what he described as blatant subversion of democracy, Yadav dismissed talk of mere “vote chori”, declaring instead, “It’s not chori… it’s a dacoity—done openly.”

Rahul Gandhi had earlier alleged deliberate attempts to erase genuine votes belonging to minorities and backward communities, citing the example of Aland in Kalaburagi, where names were allegedly struck off electoral rolls. Yadav, speaking in Bengaluru at the ‘Vision India: Startup Summit,’ said the issue was far deeper than just one constituency; it was symptomatic of a larger, dangerous tilt in the nation’s democratic machinery.

Turning briefly to Bihar’s poll outcome — where the BJP-led NDA stormed to a dramatic victory, capturing over 200 of the 243 seats — Yadav praised RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as a “popular face” and lamented what he described as the ruling side’s politics of division. “Our vision is positive,” he said. “Theirs is division.” He also accused the “double-engine government” in Uttar Pradesh of weaponising communal politics.

Even personal matters found their way into the discourse. Responding to the ongoing family rift involving Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya, Yadav remarked wryly that when disagreements emerge in their families, they become public spectacles, but such conflicts in the BJP’s house “never see the light of day.” Still, he insisted that the issue was an internal matter—one that occurs “in every home.”

At the Bengaluru summit, the Samajwadi Party leader went further, warning that an “emergency” loomed over the country. “India is known for its diversity, but now one ideology is being forced upon people,” he said. “This government is creating trouble for Hindustaniyat.”

Hundreds of kilometres away in Uttarakhand, newly appointed state Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal launched a blistering attack of his own, accusing the BJP of “buying” votes in Bihar by transferring Rs 10,000 into the accounts of 75–80 lakh women even as the Model Code of Conduct was in force. “When Babasaheb Ambedkar drafted the Constitution,” he said, “he never imagined governments would one day be formed by purchasing votes.”

Charging that the same tactic would be deployed in Uttarakhand ahead of the 2027 polls, Godiyal announced that the Congress would instead offer a “guarantee card” ensuring government jobs for the youth if voted to power. Veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat, meanwhile, declared that the party leadership in the state possessed the collective strength to dislodge what he called a “corruption-ridden” BJP government.

Amid this storm, a video shared by Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate lit up social media. It featured a journalist claiming that a BJP worker had cast votes in two booths. The Bihar chief electoral officer swiftly intervened, demanding voter details and warning of legal action for spreading misinformation. Shrinate, however, brushed aside the warning as an “empty threat,” urging the Election Commission to “wake up” and conduct an honest probe.

As more Congress leaders rallied around Rahul Gandhi’s “vote chori” slogan, MP Rajeev Shukla chastised those blaming Gandhi for the Bihar defeat. He highlighted Gandhi’s sustained campaigning—15 days across the state during the Vote Adhikar Yatra—and the unified efforts of the INDIA bloc’s leadership. He alleged that the opposition faced not just a political opponent but “the open support of the Election Commission, the brazen use of money, and the full weight of the government machinery.”

Shrinate escalated the charge further, questioning how the BJP and its allies could achieve a near-unbelievable 90 per cent strike rate amid unemployment, inflation, migration, and law-and-order failures. She called the Bihar results a “shattering” of the constitutional electoral system and alleged that BJP leaders had openly cast multiple votes. She further accused the NDA government in Bihar of bribing voters with cash transfers under the EC’s watch and claimed that BJP supporters were moved into the state from Karnal by train before polling.

Rahul Gandhi, for his part, described the Bihar results as “surprising” and insisted the election “was not fair from the beginning.” The Congress has announced a comprehensive internal review, but the party remains unwavering in its central argument: that democracy itself is being weakened by what it calls institutionalised “vote theft.”

In the words of Shrinate, summing up the mood of the opposition: “Rise up, raise your voice — this is the time to stand together. Lies cannot hide the truth, even if a single soldier of truth stands alone.”

With PTI inputs