Vote theft in BJP's political DNA: Rahul targets Modi govt, EC at Delhi rally

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that “vote chori” (vote theft) was ingrained in the BJP's political DNA, asserting that his party stood with satya (truth) and would remove the “Narendra Modi–RSS government” from power.

Addressing the Congress’s Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha launched a sharp attack on the ECI (Election Commission of Commission), naming Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, and alleging that the poll body was working in tandem with the BJP.

“We will stand with truth and remove the Narendra Modi–RSS government from power. They have power, and they indulge in vote theft,” Gandhi said, claiming that while truth formed the core of the Congress’s ideology, “untruth and vote chori” defined the BJP and the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh).

Gandhi said the political battle in the country was between satya (truth) and asatya (falsehood), adding that truth may take time to prevail but would ultimately win. “We will defeat Modi and Amit Shah through truth and non-violence,” he said.

Senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, were present at the rally, which saw a large turnout of party workers protesting alleged electoral manipulation.

The former Congress president said the party had collected nearly six crore signatures from across the country against alleged vote theft and would submit them to the President of India.

In a post on X later, Gandhi reiterated his charge, saying, “Theft is in the BJP’s DNA,” listing what he described as money theft, land theft, institutional theft, rights theft, mandate theft and vote theft as tools used by the party to retain power.

Referring to recent remarks by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Gandhi said Bhagwat had suggested that power, not truth, mattered in the world. “Our ideology, our country’s ideology and all religions say truth is most important. But Mohan Bhagwat says truth has no meaning, only power matters,” Gandhi said.

The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP transferred Rs 10,000 during elections in Bihar without attracting action from the poll panel. “In this fight between truth and untruth, the Election Commission is standing with the BJP government,” he claimed.

Gandhi accused the Centre of bringing a new law to grant immunity to election commissioners, warning that a future Congress government would amend the law retrospectively. “This law has been made to protect you. We will change it and take action,” he said, addressing the EC.

He further alleged irregularities in recent elections, claiming that voters from Uttar Pradesh and even “Brazilian women” had voted in Haryana, and that the Election Commission had failed to respond to questions raised by the Congress regarding alleged manipulation of electoral rolls.

“Look at Narendra Modi’s face — his confidence has gone. They know their vote theft has been exposed,” Gandhi said, also taking a swipe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Calling alleged vote theft an assault on the Constitution framed by B.R. Ambedkar, Gandhi said it undermined the principle of “one person, one vote”. He linked issues such as unemployment, pollution, the decline of small businesses and flawed GST implementation to what he termed electoral manipulation.

“Had they not indulged in vote theft, the people would have removed them from power in five minutes,” Gandhi said, urging party workers to continue the struggle through truth and non-violence.

With PTI inputs