SIR a bid to institutionalise ‘vote theft’, claims Rahul Gandhi

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, 9 November, sharpened his attack on the ruling dispensation and the Election Commission, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is not a reform but a cover-up for “vote theft” — a mechanism, he said, to institutionalise electoral manipulation.

Speaking to reporters in the misty hill town of Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh, where he attended a training camp for newly appointed district Congress presidents, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of “systematically undermining democracy” and “eroding the very foundation of Ambedkar’s Constitution”.

“Vote theft is an issue — and SIR now, it’s about covering it up and institutionalising the system,” he said, his tone sharp and deliberate.

The Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, which began on 4 November across nine states and three Union Territories, aims to update electoral rolls ahead of the coming election cycle. But Rahul Gandhi claimed that beneath the procedural veneer lies a deeper conspiracy.

Citing his recent presentation on Haryana, Rahul Gandhi alleged that “25 lakh votes were stolen — one in every eight.” He asserted that similar patterns were visible in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh, accusing both the BJP and the Election Commission of working in tandem.

“After studying the data, it is clear that the same thing happened in MP, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh. This is the system of the BJP and the EC,” he charged.

The Congress leader said his team possesses “detailed evidence”, part of which has been shared publicly, with more to follow.

“We have a lot of different information, very detailed information. Right now, only a little has been shown,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Raising the pitch further, he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home minister Amit Shah, and chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of working in “joint partnership” to weaken the democratic framework.

“Democracy is being attacked. Ambedkar’s Constitution is being attacked. Modi ji, Amit Shah ji, and Gyanesh ji are doing this directly in partnership. Because of this, Bharat Mata is being harmed,” he alleged.

On a different note, Gandhi said he was encouraged by the feedback from the Congress district presidents’ training camp, calling it “a positive step towards rebuilding the organisation from the ground up.”

As he left Pachmarhi, the air thick with both fog and political charge, Rahul Gandhi’s words carried a clear message — that his battle was not just electoral, but existential, for what he called “the soul of Indian democracy.”

With PTI inputs